Nigeria must manufacture meters locally, secure sustainable financing — Experts

By Esther Ihejirika

Electricity sector experts have called for increased local meter manufacturing, sustainable financing and wider adoption of smart technology to accelerate meter deployment and close Nigeria’s metering gap.

They made the call during a webinar on rapid meter rollout, stressing the need for a coordinated national metering plan to improve revenue collection, reduce estimated billing and curb electricity theft.

Mr. Odion Omonfoman, host of the webinar, disclosed that the company had achieved “over 90 per cent metering coverage” and deployed more than 200,000 meters through the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme and vendor-financing model.

He said the company was targeting 100 per cent metering coverage by extending installations to all customers across its transformers and feeders.

“Metering remains a strategic investment in revenue assurance. It enables customers to pay for the electricity they consume while reducing the dissatisfaction associated with estimated billing,” he said.

Engr. Alegie Alfred, Head of Metering, Power Limited Electric Company (MPLEC), said Abia Power was tackling energy theft, meter bypass and vandalism through routine inspections, remote monitoring, consumption-pattern analysis, customer education and revenue-protection teams.

Speaking on India’s experience, Ms. Ravleen Sethi, Director of Large Corporate Ratings, CareEdge, said government-backed programmes, private-sector investment and improved financing arrangements had accelerated smart-meter deployment in the country.

She identified the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), introduced in 2021, as a major driver of investment and expansion in India’s metering manufacturing capacity.

From the manufacturing perspective, Engr. Durosola Omogbenigun, President, Meter Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, called for a national metering plan involving the Federal and state governments, electricity distribution companies, investors, regulators and local manufacturers.