The federal government has announced a nationwide prohibition on electricity distribution companies (DisCos) and meter installers from charging consumers for the installation of electricity meters, warning that anyone who violates the order will be prosecuted.
The directive was given on Thursday by the minister of power, Adebayo Adelabu, during an inspection of a fresh batch of imported smart meters at APM Terminals in Apapa, Lagos. The meters were acquired under the World Bank–funded Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), designed to address Nigeria’s metering shortfall and promote transparency in electricity billing.
Adelabu emphasized that all meters provided through the programme must be installed free of charge for every category of customer. He stated that it is a criminal offence for any DisCo staff or installer to demand payment from consumers before installing the meters.
