The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) said over five million Nigerian electricity consumers were unmetered.
NERC General Manager, Mr Abdulkadir Shettima, made this known Monday at the launch of a Mojec International Limited, bank consumer and retail financing scheme, for Meter Asset Programme (MAP) in Lagos.
NERC recently issued permits to some MAPs to commence roll out of prepaid meters to tackle metering gap and estimated billing.
According to NERC, the move is in accordance with Section 4(3) of the MAP Regulations 2018, to MAPs that were successful in the procurement conducted by Abuja and Jos Discos.
Section 4(3) of the MAP Regulation 2018 also requires all electricity distribution licensees to engage MAP that would assist, as investors, in closing the metering gap.
Also, it is to assist in eliminating the practice of estimated billing in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, NESI.
NERC said it has directed that the roll out of meters should commence not later than May 1, 2019.
Shettima said the country’s unmetered gap stood at five million with the ongoing enumeration being carried out as against 4.7 million recorded as at December 2017.
He said the gap would be closed primarily with investments being paid by various stakeholders in the industry.
Shettima commended Mojec for kick starting the implementation of the MAP with the launch of financing with some consortium of banks.
“We are very happy with this event kick starting the implementation of the MAP, but we will be happiest when all Nigerians are metered or metering gap is closed.
“We are very hopeful that it will be closed with this regulation very soon starting from May 2019,” Shettima said.
On the objectives of MAP, he said the regulation was introduced to eliminate the practice of estimated billing or minimise it to a large extent.
“By doing this, we will have happy customers; that is customers will be happier and more willing to pay for the services they consume,” he added.
Shettima said the country would attract private investment with MAP regulation, if the economies were right.
