* Shettima receives briefing on privatisation council’s activities at second meeting in 2026
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
The Federal Government has disclosed that it has metered roughly 60% of active electricity customers in Nigeria, with an ongoing rollout under Phase 1 of the $500 million World Bank-financed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP).
It disclosed that under initiatives like the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI) and effective coordination by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the goal is to close the electricity metering gap and eliminate arbitrary estimated billing for registered customers across Nigeria.
This formed part of the brief on updates on the activities of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) at its second meeting for the year 2026, chaired by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, at the State House, Abuja.
Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi, described the meeting as very fruitful, noting that they provided the vice-president with updates on some of the activities of the NCP.
According to him, “We provided updates on meter deployment under Phase 1 of the World Bank-financed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme. We have implemented 60 per cent of the meters that have been delivered in the country out of 1,033,000. So far, we have deployed and installed 668,000 meters on customers’ premises.”
On the implementation of the Electricity Act, Gbeleyi said that with regard to the transition from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to State Electricity Regulatory Commissions, about 17 states have created their own State Electricity Regulatory Commissions since April 2024.
Recalling that Akwa Ibom State also recently created its own Electricity Regulatory Commission in July this year, the DG said: “Some fine-tuning is required here and therein the implementation of that Act.
“Council has directed that stakeholders, led by the Attorney General of the Federation, the Minister of Power, the Special Adviser on Power, the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Oil and Gas, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, the BPE and all other critical stakeholders should engage constructively so as to streamline and harmonise the Federal Government’s position in terms of the required amendments to fine-tune the Electricity Act, and we are engaging in that regard,” he stated.
Also, Minister of Power, Mr Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, confirmed efforts being made by the NCP to ensure Nigerians get value from electricity and other critical sectors of the economy.
“We are working concertedly and in a very collaborative manner to ensure that we give value, either in electricity or in telecoms—whichever area—to make sure that Nigerians benefit from this government,” Tegbe stated.
“We just finished the meeting, which also had in attendance the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, who is the vice-chair of the council; the Minister of Power; the Attorney General, duly represented by the Solicitor General; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment and, of course, the private members,” he added.