Nigeria seeks to produce its own electricity meters
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Vanguard
Nigerian experts are advocating increased domestic production of electricity meters and sustainable financing to speed up their rollout. One company has already achieved more than 90% coverage and installed over 200,000 meters, while speakers called for a coordinated national plan, Vanguard reports.
Experts in Nigeria’s electricity sector have called for increased local meter manufacturing, sustainable financing and wider adoption of smart technologies to accelerate the installation of meters for customers, Vanguard reports. The proposals were made during a webinar on meter deployment and reducing Nigeria’s metering gap.
Odion Omonfoman, who moderated the meeting, said his company had equipped more than 90% of its customers and installed more than 200,000 meters under the Meter Asset Provider programme and a supplier-financing model. It aims to achieve full coverage by extending installations to all customers connected to its transformers and distribution lines.
Speakers described metering as a way to improve bill collection, limit estimated billing and tackle electricity theft. Alegie Alfred, head of metering at Power Limited Electric Company, cited regular inspections, remote monitoring and analysis of consumption patterns among the measures Abia Power is implementing against fraud and vandalism.
Durosola Omogbenigun, president of the Nigerian Association of Meter Manufacturers, called for a national plan involving the federal and state governments, distributors, investors, regulators and local manufacturers. Ravleen Sethi of Indian rating agency CareEdge cited India’s public RDSS programme, launched in 2021, as a driver of investment and smart meter production.
The discussions come as Nigeria’s federal government has already approved a 90-day plan to tackle the cost of living, on 22 October 2026. On 24 October, a Nigerian candidate also denounced a power cut in Benue.
