Nigeria Reports Rising Power Costs Amid Mixed Metering Progress

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission reports a national electricity metering rate of 59.69% for March and April 2026. Out of 12,457,068 active customers, 7,324,074 are metered, leaving 5,132,994 without meters. While distribution companies installed over 227,000 meters across those two months, overall electricity supply remains unreliable nationwide.

Performance varies significantly by provider. Eko Electricity Distribution Company achieved the highest metering rate at 88.78%, followed by Ikeja Electric at 87.93% and Abuja Electricity Distribution Company at 80.08%. In the Federal Capital Territory, single-phase meters cost up to ₦148,162, while three-phase meters reach ₦268,750.

Financial data for May 2026 shows consumers paid ₦208.15 billion for power, a 2.23% increase over April. The industry faced a decline in billing efficiency to 76.87%, as distribution companies billed only ₦252.87 billion of the ₦328.95 billion in electricity they received. Revenue recovery efficiency peaked with Ikeja Electric at 94.63% and bottomed with Kaduna DisCo at 39.75%.