Nigeria’s electricity metering gap remains a major concern, as new data from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission shows that more than 41 per cent of electricity consumers across the country are still without prepaid meters.

 

 

 

According to the Commission’s January and February 2026 metering factsheet, about 5.1 million out of Nigeria’s 12.31 million active electricity customers remain unmetered and are still subjected to estimated billing.

 

 

 

The report revealed that only 7.21 million customers had been metered as of February 2026. However, there was a slight improvement in the national metering rate, which increased from 57.93 per cent in January to 58.57 per cent in February after 121,798 new meters were installed nationwide during the month.

 

 

 

Among the electricity distribution companies, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company recorded one of the strongest performances with a metering rate of 79.37 per cent in February.

 

 

 

Eko Electricity Distribution Company and Ikeja Electric also posted strong figures, with metering rates of 87.62 per cent and 87.16 per cent respectively, while Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company recorded 66.36 per cent.

 

 

 

Other distribution companies recorded moderate performance levels. Benin Electricity Distribution Company posted a metering rate of 56.75 per cent, while Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company and Enugu Electricity Distribution Company recorded 52.23 per cent and 51.83 per cent respectively.

 

 

 

The report also identified the least-metered electricity distribution companies in the country. Yola Electricity Distribution Company recorded the lowest metering rate at 31.86 per cent, followed by Jos Electricity Distribution Company at 34.04 per cent, Kano Electricity Distribution Company at 35.37 per cent and Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company at 35.59 per cent.

 

 

 

Further breakdown of the data showed that Abuja DisCo installed 18,352 new meters in February, while Benin and Ibadan DisCos added 25,658 and 16,445 meters respectively.

 

 

 

NERC explained that active customers are electricity consumers who purchased electricity units or received bills at least once within a 12-month period.