The Federal Government has directed electricity distribution companies and installers to stop charging customers for meter installations, warning that any violators will face prosecution.
The announcement was made on Thursday by Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, during an inspection of 500,000 newly imported smart meters in Lagos.
The meters were procured under the World Bank–funded Distribution Sector Recovery Programme.
Adelabu emphasized that the meters must be installed free of charge, stating that the government would not tolerate any form of extortion. “No payment should be collected for meter installation,” he said.
The minister disclosed that about one million meters have been received so far, with 150,000 already installed, as part of a plan to deploy 3.4 million meters nationwide.
He added that the meters will be distributed to all customers, regardless of tariff band.
To prevent abuse, Adelabu said monitoring systems and complaint channels would be introduced.
He noted that Nigeria still has over five million customers on estimated billing, a situation the government aims to eliminate with the meter rollout.
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