Electricity sector experts have called on Nigeria to strengthen local electricity meter manufacturing and establish sustainable financing mechanisms to accelerate meter installation and address the country’s persistent metering gap.
The experts made the call during a webinar focused on speeding up meter deployment, where they stressed the need for a coordinated national strategy involving federal and state governments, electricity distribution companies, regulators, investors and domestic manufacturers.
They argued that expanding local production and improving access to financing would reduce dependence on imported meters, strengthen the electricity supply chain and help consumers receive more accurate bills.
Local production seen as key to closing metering gap
Engr. Durosola Omogbenigun, President of the Meter Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, advocated a comprehensive national metering plan that would bring all major stakeholders together to support domestic production and accelerate installations.
He stressed the importance of creating an environment in which Nigerian manufacturers could expand their capacity and contribute more significantly to meeting the country’s electricity metering needs.
The experts also highlighted the role of smart-meter technology in improving revenue collection, detecting electricity theft and reducing disputes arising from estimated billing.
Mr Odion Omonfoman, who hosted the webinar, disclosed that his company had achieved more than 90 per cent metering coverage and deployed over 200,000 meters through the Meter Asset Provider scheme and vendor-financing model.
He said the company was targeting full metering coverage by extending installations to customers across its transformers and feeders.
According to Omonfoman, metering is a strategic investment that enables consumers to pay for the electricity they actually use while improving revenue assurance for operators.
Financing remains a major challenge
The experts identified sustainable financing as a critical requirement for achieving widespread meter deployment, noting that large-scale installations would require long-term investment and effective partnerships between government and private-sector players.
Speaking on India’s experience, Ravleen Sethi, Director of Large Corporate Ratings at CareEdge, explained how government-backed programmes and private investment had supported the country’s expansion of smart-meter deployment and manufacturing capacity.
She identified India’s Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme, introduced in 2021, as an important driver of investment in the sector.
The participants suggested that Nigeria could draw lessons from such financing arrangements while developing solutions suited to its own electricity market.
Smart meters could improve billing and revenue collection
Engr. Alegie Alfred, Head of Metering at Power Limited Electric Company, said Abia Power was deploying several measures to address energy theft, meter bypass and vandalism.
These include routine inspections, remote monitoring, analysis of consumption patterns, customer education and the deployment of revenue-protection teams.
The experts maintained that a combination of local manufacturing, smart technology and sustainable funding would help improve accountability across the electricity value chain.
They urged policymakers and industry stakeholders to work towards a unified approach that would accelerate installations, strengthen domestic industrial capacity and improve the reliability of electricity billing for Nigerian consumers.
