More than 2.8 million electricity customers in Nigeria have been given meters under a government scheme to cut revenue losses in the power sector, the power minister has said.
Joseph Tegbe said the Presidential Metering Initiative was part of efforts by President Bola Tinubu’s government over the past three and a half years to tackle long-standing financial and infrastructure problems in the industry.
He was speaking through a representative, Martins Olajide, special adviser on administration and projects at the power ministry, at the sixth annual conference of the Power Correspondents Association of Nigeria (PCAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
“During the same period, over 2.8 million customers have been metered under the Presidential Metering Initiative to bridge collection losses,” Mr Tegbe said.
He added that the president had approved a plan to clear debts owed to power generating companies.
“He approved a N3.3 trillion plan to settle verified legacy debts owed to generating companies. We have raised N1.23 trillion under that plan, easing the pressure on generators and improving their ability to pay for gas and maintain their plants,” he said.
Despite the progress, power supply remains weak. Grid-connected plants generated an average of 4,102 megawatts (MW) in August 2026, far below installed capacity, with gas shortages and limited transmission capacity the main constraints.
Millions of Nigerians still have no meters, and distribution companies continue to lose a large share of their revenue.
Mr Tegbe said the Rural Electrification Agency had connected universities, hospitals and rural communities to solar power.
“We have commenced the construction of a new ultramodern National Grid Control Centre in Osogbo to replace the old one, built over 60 years ago,” he said.
He described vandalism as a major threat to the sector. Nigeria has suffered a series of national grid collapses in the past two years, and attacks on power infrastructure continue to disrupt supply.
The minister said the president had approved a co-ordinated anti-vandalism campaign involving security agencies, backed by a stronger legal framework to deter sabotage and hold offenders accountable.
The conference was themed “$1 Trillion Economy: Nigeria’s Roadmap to Reliable and Affordable Power Supply”.
“Reliable and affordable electricity allows businesses to produce more and gives them the confidence to invest,” Mr Tegbe said.
“That ambition cannot rest on consumption alone. It must rest on production. And production, at scale, must rest on reliable, affordable and commercially sustainable electricity.”
‘Recurring challenge’
PCAN chairman Obas Esiedesa warned that electricity generation falls every year between November and March, when lower water levels cut output from hydroelectric dams and gas shortages hit thermal power plants.
“This recurring challenge has continued to undermine efforts to achieve stable electricity supply. It is therefore important for the government, regulators, electricity generation companies and gas suppliers to strengthen collaboration and develop sustainable arrangements that will guarantee adequate gas feedstock for thermal power plants, especially during periods of reduced hydro power generation,” he said.
“We must also address the larger issues of inadequate transmission and distribution infrastructure, liquidity challenges, investment gaps, regulatory uncertainties and the need for improved efficiency across the electricity value chain.”
Mr Esiedesa said no economy could grow sustainably without enough power for industries, businesses and households, and urged participants to look beyond the sector’s problems to practical solutions.
“We must interrogate existing policies and reforms, examine investment opportunities, address infrastructure gaps, explore sustainable financing options and develop workable strategies for improving electricity supply across the country,” he said.
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