The Federal Government has directed electricity distribution companies to stop charging customers for meter installation, warning that any official caught demanding money will be prosecuted.
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, gave the warning while inspecting a new batch of smart meters imported under the World Bank-backed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme in Lagos on Thursday, January 22, 2026.
The minister said the meters are meant to be installed free of charge, describing any form of payment request as illegal.
According to him, about 500,000 new meters have just arrived, bringing the total received to nearly one million, with over 150,000 already installed nationwide.
Adelabu said the move would help close Nigeria’s metering gap, improve transparency in billing and strengthen the power sector.
Adelabu added that the government would monitor installations closely and sanction any DisCo official or installer involved in extortion.
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He said: “We are going to open a customer complaint desk whereby, if you notice any such requests for illegal money, you report it, and the authorities will follow up.
“We are not leaving the installation to the DisCos alone; we’re also creating an interface between the installers and consumers to accelerate the pace of installation.
“We have some issues with the data and addresses of unmetered customers. We are working hand-in-hand with the DisCos to ensure clean data so that we can accelerate installation.
“Extortion is not allowed, but there must be confirmed cases of such extortion, and the officials involved — no matter how high — will be prosecuted. It will be publicised and serve as a deterrent to others with similar intentions.
“This is a government effort, and no activity of a DisCo or installer should frustrate government efforts to ensure that life is made easy for Nigerians and that we have a stable, reliable, and functional power sector.”
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