The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has revealed that a significant portion of electricity consumers in Nigeria are still without prepaid meters, despite a slight improvement in national metering coverage.
According to data contained in its January and February 2026 metering factsheet, about 5.1 million customers—representing roughly 41 per cent of the country’s 12.31 million active electricity users—remain unmetered and are still subject to estimated billing. Only 7.21 million customers had been metered as of February 2026.
The report showed a marginal improvement in the national metering rate, which rose from 57.93 per cent in January to 58.57 per cent in February, following the installation of 121,798 new meters during the month.
Among distribution companies, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company recorded the highest metering rate at 79.37 per cent. Eko Electricity Distribution Company and Ikeja Electric also performed strongly, with 87.62 per cent and 87.16 per cent respectively, while Port Harcourt Disco recorded 66.36 per cent.
In contrast, Benin, Ibadan and Enugu DisCos recorded lower metering levels of 56.75 per cent, 52.23 per cent and 51.83 per cent respectively. Yola, Jos, Kaduna and Kano DisCos were identified as the weakest performers, with Yola recording the lowest at 31.86 per cent.
The data further showed that Abuja DisCo installed 18,352 new meters in February, while Benin and Ibadan DisCos added 25,658 and 16,445 respectively.
NERC clarified that active customers refer to those who either purchased electricity units or received bills within a 12-month period.
