In a bold move to address Nigeria’s persistent electricity metering challenges, the Federal Government has announced that the full-scale implementation of the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025. The initiative is expected to deploy over six million free prepaid meters to electricity consumers nationwide, marking a significant step in the ongoing reform of the Nigerian power sector.
This over six million free prepaid meters announcement was made during Day 2 of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) Stakeholders Meeting held in Lagos on Tuesday. Eriye Onagoruwa, who represented the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, provided an in-depth update on the metering rollout and progress under the PMI.
According to Onagoruwa, the initiative is strategically designed to prioritize metering high-consumption areas, starting with Band A customers—those who typically enjoy the highest number of daily power supply hours. She noted that funding for the meters would be drawn from a hybrid of sources including the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), the Federation Account, and the Meter Asset Fund.
“Over six million meters are planned from multiple sources. Key priorities include streamlining installer certification, deploying meters to high-consumption areas, and ensuring robust communication infrastructure,” she said.
The Presidential Metering Initiative, introduced in 2023, forms a core part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s broader energy reforms aimed at fixing systemic inefficiencies in electricity supply and billing. The initiative is being implemented through coordinated efforts between the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN), and the 11 electricity distribution companies (DisCos).
According to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), whose updates were shared via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, the rollout in Q4 will depend on the completion of all preparatory activities, including certification, logistics, and communication support infrastructure.
Nigeria’s metering deficit remains a long-standing issue, with millions of customers still subjected to estimated billing—a practice that has led to widespread complaints and trust issues between consumers and electricity providers. The lack of meters has also weakened revenue assurance and investment confidence in the sector.
To address this, earlier in 2025, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, disclosed that 75,000 meters were expected under the International Competitive Bid 1 in April, followed by 200,000 more units in May. These are considered stopgap measures ahead of the Q4 national rollout.
Energy stakeholders at the NESI meeting emphasized that accelerated metering is essential for rebuilding consumer trust and improving the financial sustainability of electricity distribution companies.
“Transparent and accurate billing supported by widespread metering is critical to restoring faith in the electricity supply chain. It also ensures DisCos can collect revenues more efficiently, which feeds back into service improvements,” said a senior industry official who attended the meeting.
In tandem with the metering programme, Nigeria is also pushing forward with decentralization of power regulation, as stipulated in the Electricity Act 2023. Presentations at the stakeholder meeting showed that 11 states have commenced transitions to state-managed electricity markets, with seven—including Enugu, Ondo, Ekiti, Imo, Oyo, Edo, and Kogi—already fully onboard.
The transition to state-level market regulation and the rollout of meters are expected to significantly reshape Nigeria’s electricity landscape. The reforms aim to improve investment attraction, boost service delivery, and reduce the governance burden on the federal grid.
As Onagoruwa noted, “The successful implementation of the PMI will represent a turning point for Nigeria’s power sector—ushering in a new era of transparency, accountability, and customer empowerment.”
With implementation efforts intensifying and collaboration across government agencies, DisCos, and international development partners, the fourth quarter of 2025 could see the largest single metering intervention in Nigeria’s history.