🇳🇬NigeriaWest Africa
Nigerian DisCos install over 130,000 meters with N49bn government funding
via Punch Nigeria5 min read
Nigerian electricity distribution companies installed 130,209 meters under the Meter Acquisition Fund framework, with the Federal Government investing N49 billion in the scheme between 2024 and 2025. This initiative by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission aims to help DisCos secure financing for meter deployment by establishing a reliable revenue stream. The funds are managed by a designated fund manager. In 2024, NERC approved N21 billion for meter installations, followed by N28 billion in 2025 under the second tranche. While 2024 saw 5,068 installations, 2025 experienced a significant increase, with 36,903 in Q1, 65,315 in Q2, 175 in Q3, and 22,748 in Q4. Ikeja DisCo led with 31,331 meters installed since 2024, followed by Enugu DisCo 14,822, Eko DisCo 14,501, Ibadan DisCo 12,556, Port Harcourt DisCo 11,445, and Abuja DisCo 11,375. NERC Chairman Musiliu Oseni clarified that meters provided under government-funded initiatives are free at the point of installation, and customers who paid upfront for meters under approved arrangements are entitled to refunds. The MAF framework, alongside the Presidential Metering Initiative, seeks to close Nigeria's metering gap. Despite these efforts, many Band A customers were still on estimated billing in Q1 2026 due to importation challenges and a shortage of installers. As of December 2025, 6,966,584 out of 12,163,412 active registered electricity customers were metered, leaving approximately 5.2 million customers without meters
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio called on Nigerians to continue praying for the exposure of those sponsoring terrorism, speaking at an Inter-Denominational Church Service for Democracy Day in Abuja. Akpabio reflected on his time as Akwa Ibom State governor, where he initiated monthly prayer sessions to combat kidnapping, militancy, and killings. He emphasized that Nigeria has overcome past crises, including political upheavals, economic turbulence, pandemics like Ebola and COVID-19, and insurgencies, highlighting 27 years of uninterrupted democratic governance. Akpabio acknowledged the widespread pain caused by insecurity, including kidnappings and violent attacks, and called for national resilience. He shared his personal anguish from the Nigerian civil war, relating it to the trauma faced by families affected by current insecurity. Akpabio assured Nigerians of President Bola Tinubu's administration's commitment to ending insecurity, restoring peace, and securing the release of all captives. Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, also stated the federal government's efforts to ease economic hardship and enhance security measures.
Must ReadNigeria's trade sector attracted $65.79 million in foreign capital during the first quarter of 2026, marking a 91.31 percent increase from the $34.39 million recorded in the same period of 2025. This growth indicates renewed investor confidence in commercial activities and cross-border trade, despite the figure being lower than the $80.94 million in Q3 2025 and $119.21 million in Q4 2025. The National Bureau of Statistics reported that trade was the largest contributor to Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product in Q1 2026, accounting for 17.89 percent of total output. Dr. Muda Yusuf, Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, attributed this to improved exchange rate stability, better FX liquidity, easing inflationary pressures, and recovering business confidence. However, Yusuf cautioned that sustainable economic transformation requires stronger productive capacity and industrialization. Industry experts anticipate trade will play a growing role in driving growth across Nigeria and Africa, particularly with the African Continental Free Trade Area. Bowale Adeoye, Chief Executive Officer of Seedtree Capital, highlighted innovations in trade finance and logistics, such as the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, which reduce transaction costs and address Africa's trade finance gap. She also emphasized the importance of cold-chain infrastructure and localization for competitiveness. Ijeoma Ezenwa, Chief Executive Officer of NAHCO Commodities Li
Must ReadExperts are advocating for immediate reforms to Nigeria's Safe School initiative following a significant increase in school abductions. Since the initiative's establishment in 2014 and implementation in 2015, over 2,000 students and teachers have been kidnapped, according to a media tally. While isolated cases occurred between 2015 and 2017, mass kidnappings targeting schools in northern and central Nigeria escalated after the 2018 abduction of 110 schoolgirls from Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State. Notable incidents include the abduction of 303 students in Kankara in December 2020, 279 girls in Jangebe in February 2021, and 287 students in Kuriga in March 2024, among many others. A national plan for Safe Schools financing from 2023 to 2026 allocates N82,909,728,970 to security agencies for arms, equipment, training, and operations. The Federal Government is expected to contribute N119.83bn, with states providing N24.93bn. Former Assistant Inspector General of Police, Wilson Inalegwu, called for an overhaul of the security coordination framework, emphasizing intelligence-driven policing and strengthened state-level security structures. He also highlighted the need for integrated intelligence centers and collaboration between security agencies and communities. Retired Commissioner of Police, Lawrence Alobi, echoed calls for a review of the security architecture, stressing that all security services must actively protect educational institution