From David Onuoja, Abuja
The first batch of the Federal Government 75,000 meters, under International Competitive Bid 1 (ICB1), has arrived in the country; investigation has revealed.
Earlier this month, the Minister of Power, through his spokesman, Tunji Bolaji, stated that the first batch of about 3,205,101meters, would be brought to the country before the end of April, 2025.
The operating officer of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Mr Olumide John, confirmed in Abuja that the said meter has arrived.
On April 8, 2025, the Special Adviser, Strategic Communications and Media Relations to the Minister of Power, Bolaji Tunji said, 75,000 meters under the International Competitive Bid 1 (ICB1) is expected by April 2025, followed by the second batch of 200,000 meters in May 2025.
He added that, structured financing and government-backed initiatives are expected to accelerate deployment beyond the current pace, ensuring that the metering gap is addressed efficiently.
“To bridge this gap, the government has put in place key initiatives aimed at significantly improving metering across the country. The Distribution Sector Recovery Program (DISREP) is set to deliver 3,205,101 meters by 2026.
These structured interventions provide a clear roadmap for addressing the metering gap in an effective and sustainable manner”.
The statement reveals further that, “while the metering gap remains a concern, the notion that it will take over a decade to resolve is misleading.
“With the ongoing DISREP and PMI initiatives, Nigeria’s metering landscape is set to experience significant improvement before the end of the year. The focus should be on the execution of these well-structured plans rather than a blanket critique that overlooks the real progress being made”.
When Kaduna Electric was also contacted, the head of Communication and Public Affairs, Kaduna Electric, Mr Abdulazeez Abdullahi, said though the state has commenced its own, he clarified that it is under the meter Acquisition Fund Metering which had since commenced in February, 2025.
All efforts to also reach the Ministry of power proved abortive as all calls to the relevant persons was either picked nor connected.
Nigerians and electricity customers are now looking forward to see the installations and improvement of electricity in the country.
