FG to distribute 2 million prepaid meters to Nigerians in 2025, 10 million in 5 years

• The Federal Government plans to purchase and distribute two million prepaid meters to Nigerians in the first quarter of 2025
• It said a total of 10 million prepaid meters will be distributed over the next five years
• The government plans to ease high energy costs through its renewable energy initiative

The Federal Government says it will purchase two million prepaid meters for distribution to Nigerians in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025.

The government said it aims to distribute 10 million prepaid meters over the next five years under the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) to improve the country’s electricity billing system.

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, disclosed this during the commissioning of the mobile power substations in Oyo and Ogun States, recently.

Adelabu noted that the estimated billing system does not favour consumers, which necessitated the plan to purchase and distribute 10 million prepaid meters to Nigerians.

He added that citizens should desist from electricity theft and vandalisation of electricity infrastructure, which he said costs the government and affects the nation's power supply.

Adelabu said, “An estimated billing system is ripping off on the consumers, hence the reason the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Power, is purchasing 10 million prepaid meters to be distributed across the country.

“Out of these figures, two million prepaid meters will be distributed before the end of the first quarter in 2025.

“While the Federal Government is doing everything to make the country habitable for the people, the customers should desist from their idea of by-passing connection.

“Also, people should desist from vandalizing and stealing electricity cables. The government, aside from spending fortunes to replace stolen equipment, is also affecting the electricity power supply nationwide.”

Renewable energy will ease energy cost

The Power Minister assured that though rising energy and power costs are not peculiar to Nigeria, the government is addressing the challenge through its renewable energy initiative.

Adelabu said the government plans to deploy alternative renewable energy and solar energy grids to critical institutions across the country.

He said, “The renewable energy of the Federal Government is aimed at easing the burden of the rising cost of energy.

“The rising cost of energy is taking a toll not only on the households but our institutions of learning.

“The government has concluded a plan to deploy alternative renewable energy grid and solar energy grid to the universities, teaching hospitals and research institutes nationwide.”

About the National Mass Metering Programme

The National Mass Metering Programme (NNMP) was launched in 2020 by the Federal Government to provide prepaid meters for customers to ease the burden of meter acquisition.

The programme also aimed to resolve the perennial challenge of estimated billing, which has impacted consumer confidence and hindered revenue generation for electricity distribution companies.

The Federal Government approved N21 billion for the programme under the Presidential Metering Initiative to close the country’s metering gap by providing meters to unmetered electricity users at no cost.

Nigeria loses $26bn yearly to electricity shortages –Report

Meanwhile, TheRadar reported that Nigeria suffers an estimated annual economic loss of $26 billion due to electricity shortages, according to a report, Africa Trade Barometer, by the Standard Bank.

According to the report, businesses shore up electricity shortages by spending nearly $22 billion annually on off-grid fuel, which leads to increased operational costs.