The latest data published by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has shown that distribution companies (DISCOS) in Ibadan, Ikeja, and Abuja recorded the highest number of metered customers as of June 30, 2022.
According to NERC, Ibadan DISCO recorded 828,061 metered customers with a 38.67 per cent performance, followed by the Ikeja DISCO which recorded 686,705 metered customers with a 52.89 per cent performance, and lastly the Abuja DISCO which recorded 710,870 metered customers with a 61 per cent performance.
The report by NERC further disclosed that since the updated Meter Asset Provider (MAP) and the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) regulations of 2021, there has been a sustained improvement in the deployment of end-use customer meters. This, in turn, has improved transparency in customer-DISCO relations.
On a DISCO-by-DISCO basis, Abuja, Eko, Enugu, Ibadan, Ikeja, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, and Yola DISCOS recorded increments of 31.96 per cent, 98.28 per cent, 62.91 per cent, 40.01 per cent, 154.75 per cent, 157.65 per cent, 8.72 per cent and 100 per cent from the numbers of customers metered as of Q1 2022.
The NERC data also showed that there are 12,643,630 registered energy customer population in the country. Out of this number, there were 4,898,721 metered customers as of June 30, 2022, with a metering performance of 38.74 per cent.
However, months ago, NERC data for September 2021, the registered energy customer population stood at 12.78 million, of which only 4.77million (37.3 per cent of the identified customers) were metered, leaving the unmetered population at 8.01million customers (62.7 per cent of the registered customers).
Sources at NERC told journalists that a decline in registered energy customers is a result of damaged meters as well as challenges of power transmission and distribution issues recorded at the point of data collection.
NERC says it is actively engaged with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), World Bank, and other relevant stakeholders to accelerate the financial close and funds disbursement for the next round of the NMMP.
Regarding MAP, NERC is also undertaking steps to increase customer uptake through a combination of enlightenment and developing a mechanism for the implementation of the customer refund. The Commission says the ways for holding DISCOS to account for increased enlightenment and ultimately off-take of the MAP meters are also being evaluated.