The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has disclosed that more than 41 percent of electricity consumers across the country are still without prepaid meters, highlighting a persistent metering gap in the nation's power sector.
Metering Statistics
According to the Commission's January and February 2026 metering factsheet, approximately 5.1 million out of Nigeria's 12.31 million active electricity customers remain unmetered and continue to be subjected to estimated billing. The report indicates that only 7.21 million customers had been metered as of February 2026.
There was a slight improvement in the national metering rate, which rose from 57.93 percent in January to 58.57 percent in February, following the installation of 121,798 new meters nationwide during the month.
Performance by Distribution Companies
Among the electricity distribution companies, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company recorded one of the strongest performances with a metering rate of 79.37 percent in February. Eko Electricity Distribution Company and Ikeja Electric also posted strong figures, with metering rates of 87.62 percent and 87.16 percent respectively. Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company recorded a metering rate of 66.36 percent.
Other distribution companies recorded moderate performance levels. Benin Electricity Distribution Company posted a metering rate of 56.75 percent, while Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company and Enugu Electricity Distribution Company recorded 52.23 percent and 51.83 percent respectively.
Least Metered DisCos
The report also identified the least-metered electricity distribution companies. Yola Electricity Distribution Company recorded the lowest metering rate at 31.86 percent, followed by Jos Electricity Distribution Company at 34.04 percent, Kano Electricity Distribution Company at 35.37 percent, and Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company at 35.59 percent.
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.
