Tinubu Orders Nationwide Metering Overhaul: All Homes and Businesses to Be Metered Within Five Years

The Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, has issued a directive mandating the metering of all businesses, institutions, households, and industries across the country within the next five years. This ambitious initiative was disclosed by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, during his visit to MBH Power, a meter manufacturing facility located in Mowe, Ogun State.

Adelabu revealed that President Tinubu is deeply dissatisfied with the nation’s ongoing metering shortfall, which currently stands at eight million. The President has instructed that this gap must be entirely closed within a five-year period, a task that will require concerted effort and collaboration across various sectors.

“Less than 50 per cent of electricity consumers nationwide are metered. And it’s been like that for so long. Mr President said we need to reverse this ugly trend and that we must ensure that we get every household, commodity, business, institution, and industry metered over the next four to five years,” Adelabu stated, underscoring the urgency of the situation.

The Minister also identified poor liquidity as a significant challenge within the power sector, noting that the root of this issue lies in the lack of adequate metering. The absence of widespread metering has long plagued Nigeria’s electricity consumers, leading to inefficiencies and financial losses.

To address this, Adelabu announced the establishment of the Presidential Metering Initiative, overseen by the Presidential Metering Council. This initiative aims to install two million meters annually over the next four to five years, dramatically reducing the metering gap in both the short and mid-term and ultimately eliminating it in the long term.

During his visit, Adelabu praised MBH Power for its efforts in supporting the government’s metering objectives while also contributing to job creation for Nigerian youth. He expressed his satisfaction with the company’s commitment to local content and the number of jobs it has generated.

“We are here to assess the volume of your local content and also to validate the number of jobs you have been able to create in Nigeria. I must tell you that I am highly impressed with what I saw on the ground,” Adelabu said, adding, “So thank you so much for taking an interest in Nigeria and supporting the government’s activities. I can promise you that the Ministry of Power and our agencies are going to work with you.”

Rakesh Mahapatra, Director and Chief Operating Officer of MBH Power, reaffirmed the company’s dedication to partnering with the government to bridge the metering gap. Since its inception, MBH Power has supplied over 700,000 meters through various power distribution companies, a significant contribution to the country’s metering efforts.

Mahapatra also highlighted the company’s production capacity, which includes the ability to produce 2,000 meters per day for single-phase units and 500 meters per day for three-phase units on a single shift, with an annual production capacity of 920,000 meters. This capacity is expected to play a crucial role in meeting the government’s metering targets.

As the nation embarks on this ambitious journey to fully meter its electricity consumers, the success of this initiative will be pivotal in addressing Nigeria’s long-standing challenges in the power sector, enhancing transparency, improving revenue collection, and ensuring a more stable and efficient electricity supply for all Nigerians.