The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has stated that 1,092,399 customers have been provided with a prepaid meter through the electricity distribution companies (DisCos) under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme and the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP).
NERC made the disclosure in response to a freedom of information (FOI) application by an electricity consumer group that requested data on the number of meters distributed by DisCos under MAP and NMMP.
A consumer interest group, the All Electricity Consumers Protection Forum (AECPF) had requested that NERC release its data on the number of meters distributed by DisCos under the programmes.
The letter dated June 28 and signed by the National Coordinator Adeola Samuel-Ilori, AECPF’s, the group requested that NERC provide the information within seven days of receiving the letter pursuant to Section 4 (1) (2) of the FOI Act.
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According to the NAN report, NERC, in a letter signed by Ada Ozoemena, the commission’s secretary, stated that 508,439 customers have been provided with meters under the MAP scheme of the federal government which was flagged off on October 30, 2020, with a target of six million meters by 2023.
The regulatory agency noted that 583,960 meters had been distributed under the MAP scheme, it also stated that 5,855 customers were awaiting the delivery of their meters having paid for them.
Samuel-Ilori stated that the group had carried out a survey on customers who paid under the MAP scheme and were yet to receive their meters.
He pointed out that the NERC had understated the figures. He disclosed that the group would send FOI requests to the various DisCos to get the detailed breakdown.
“It is necessary to have this data by our group to help fulfill one of the cardinal objectives, which includes monitoring the activities of power sector stakeholders as they affect the consumers,” Samuel-Ilori said.
