FG introduces another metering scheme as MAP disappoints

The Federal Government has said it is set to introduce another metering scheme in the Nigerian power sector, the second in three years.

The new scheme comes more than two and a half years after the Meter Asset Provider Regulations was approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to accelerate meter rollout.

But the MAP initiative, which was aimed at fast-tracking the closure of the metering gap in the sector through the engagement of third-party investors for the financing, procurement, supply, installation and maintenance of electricity meters, has suffered setbacks.

NERC has set a target of metering all customers within three years, directing the distribution companies and the approved meter asset providers to commence the rollout of meters not later than May 1, 2019.

But in February this year, the commission itself noted that several constraints, including changes in fiscal policy and the limited availability of long-term funding, had led to limited success in the meter rollout.

“To ensure that Nigerians only pay for the energy they consume, a metering scheme that will see six million free meters distributed to Nigerian homes and businesses is set to commence this quarter,” the Minister of Power, Mr Sale Mamman said on Twitter on Monday.

In April, NERC said the coronavirus pandemic had significantly impacted on the availability of imported components for local assembly of meters for supply to customers under the MAP Regulations and the rollout plan for the existing stock.

According to the latest quarterly report by the regulator, out of the 10,374,597 registered electricity customers as of December 2019, only 3,918,322 (37.77 per cent) have been metered.

“Thus, 62.37 per cent of the registered electricity customers are still on estimated billing which has contributed to customer apathy towards payment for electricity,” it said.