More than 4.85 million Nigerian electricity customers remain unmetered even after distribution companies installed 308,106 new units in a single two-month stretch. According to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission's latest Metering Status Factsheet, total metered customers reached 7,743,839 out of 12.59 million active accounts by the end of June 2026.
Nigeria Electricity Metering Gap: What the June Factsheet Shows
The national metering rate rose to 61.51 percent in June, up from 60.22 percent in May, marking the steepest single-month gain recorded so far this year. DisCos metered 203,521 additional customers in June alone, nearly double the 104,585 recorded the previous month. Active customer accounts also grew, climbing 0.55 percent to 12.59 million between May and June.
According to NERC, "continued progress in customer metering across the country" reflects DisCos' effort to close the gap and reduce reliance on estimated billing. Coverage still varies sharply by operator, a pattern documented in detail within NERC's regulatory disclosures.
DisCo-by-DisCo Metering Rate Breakdown
Eko Disco posted the highest metering rate at 88.70 percent, followed by Ikeja Electric at 87.91 percent and Abuja Disco at 81.38 percent. Several northern DisCos have historically trailed well behind these figures, a gap that has shaped ongoing debate over and regional metering investment. The unevenness underscores why national averages can mask deep disparities in actual customer experience.
Why Millions of Nigerian Customers Still Lack Meters
The shortfall persists despite a federal push under the Presidential Metering Initiative and the $500 million World Bank-financed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme, known as DISREP. According to Ayodeji Gbeleyi, Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, "We have implemented 60 per cent of the meters that have been delivered in the country out of 1,033,000. So far, we have deployed and installed 668,000 meters on customers' premises." Gbeleyi's remarks came during a briefing to the National Council on Privatization in late August, ahead of NERC's newest factsheet.
That leaves roughly 365,000 delivered meters still awaiting installation at customer premises, a separate bottleneck from the millions of accounts that have not yet been assigned a meter at all. Readers can review further detail on DISREP's funding structure to understand how delivery and deployment numbers diverge.
What Comes Next for Nigeria's Metering Rollout?
Government officials have framed the metering push as part of a wider effort to deliver value to electricity consumers. "We are working concertedly and in a very collaborative manner to ensure that we give value, either in electricity or in telecoms, whichever area to make sure that Nigerians benefit from this government," said Joseph Tegbe, Minister of Power.
NERC's own data shows the metering rate climbing steadily through 2026, from 57.93 percent in January to June's 61.51 percent. DisCos posted their strongest monthly gains yet in June, yet the regulator's figures confirm nearly 40 percent of Nigeria's active electricity customers are still billed on an estimated basis rather than a metered one.
