Manufacturers Drop Suit Against FG, Clear Path for Deployment of 1.55m Meters

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Association of Meter Manufacturers of Nigeria (AMMON) has withdrawn its lawsuit against the federal government, clearing the way for the deployment of 1.55 million smart meters under various government-backed intervention programmes aimed at closing the country’s metering gap.

The withdrawal, effected through a ‘Notice of Discontinuance’ filed at the Federal High Court in Kano, followed the intervention of the Minister of Power,  Joseph Tegbe, who convened a high-level meeting involving AMMON and key government agencies to resolve the dispute, a statement from the minister’s office said.

The legal action resulted in an injunction secured by AMMON in April 2026, halting bidding processes for major metering initiatives, including the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), Meter Acquisition Fund Phase 3 (MAF 3) and the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI).

In the statement, the Federal Ministry of Power said the resolution brought an end to the impasse and would enable the stalled procurement process to resume, allowing the government to accelerate efforts to bridge the country’s longstanding electricity metering deficit.

The ministry explained that the resolution was achieved through collaboration between the Ministry of Power, the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and other relevant stakeholders.

According to the ministry, this resulted in a mutually acceptable solution that addressed the concerns of local meter manufacturers while remaining consistent with local and international competitive procurement rules.

The ministry stated that the agreement reflects the government’s commitment to promoting indigenous industrial participation without jeopardising the financing arrangements required to implement the metering programmes.

It noted that the outcome aligns with the federal government’s ‘Nigeria First’ policy on local industrial development as well as President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to deepen local manufacturing while accelerating reforms in the electricity sector.

The ministry added that expanding access to prepaid meters remains a key priority because it would improve revenue collection by electricity distribution companies, reduce commercial losses and eliminate the widespread practice of estimated billing, which has remained a major source of consumer complaints.

Meanwhile, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) yesterday announced that issues surrounding the invasion and encroachment on the C2 Maitama Substation in Abuja had been resolved following the intervention of key stakeholders.

The Disco said repair and restoration works had commenced at the facility after the resolution of the dispute, paving the way for electricity supply to be restored to customers in Maitama and adjoining areas.

AEDC expressed appreciation to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the Minister of Power, Tegbe, for their intervention and leadership in resolving the matter.

According to the utility, technical teams have been mobilised to the site to undertake repairs, reinstate damaged infrastructure and restore electricity supply as quickly and safely as possible.

The company thanked customers for their patience and reiterated its commitment to protecting critical electricity infrastructure while delivering reliable and sustainable power supply.