The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission on Tuesday said about 600,000 to 700,000 electricity meters are already available for distribution across the country.
NERC Vice Chairman, Musiliu Oseni, disclosed this while giving his opening remarks at the 4th NESI Stakeholders Meeting in Abuja. The statement was also shared on the Commission’s X page.
Oseni, who is attending his last NESI meeting as Vice Chairman, said power distribution companies must speed up the rollout and improve awareness since government funds have already been used to procure the meters.
“There are currently 600,000 to 700,000 meters available in the country. Utilities must improve publicity. The government has made the investment, so the DisCos need to step up,” he said.
Speaking to operators, regulators, and other sector players, Oseni noted that the industry had reached important decision points, especially with the ongoing shift to State Electricity Regulatory Commissions.
He warned the distribution companies to cooperate fully with their new state regulators.
“No licensee is bigger than their regulator,” he said.
Oseni also addressed recent media reports about the tenure of NERC Commissioners. He said the staggered tenure system mentioned in Section 36 of the Electricity Act applied only to the pioneer Commission and was inherited from the former EPSRA framework.
According to him, all subsequent chairmen and commissioners now have five-year tenures as stated in Section 36(1) of the Act.
