Ikeja, Eko, Abuja Discos Lead As Metering Rate Hits 57%

Nigeria’s electricity metering rate rose to 57 per cent, with Ikeja, Eko and Abuja Discos leading.

Nigeria’s electricity distribution sector closed December 2025 with a modest improvement in metering coverage, as the national metering rate rose to 57.27 per cent, up from 56.54 per cent recorded in November, according to the latest factsheet released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

The data showed that out of a total 12,163,412 active electricity customers across the country in December, 6,966,584 were metered, leaving 5,196,828 customers without meters. This means that despite the incremental progress recorded during the month, about 42.73 per cent of active electricity users nationwide remained unmetered and are largely subjected to estimated billing.

In November, the total number of active customers stood at 12,128,611, of which 6,857,028 had meters. That left 5,271,583 customers unmetered at the time, representing 43.46 per cent of the customer base. 

The NERC data indicated that within one month, the industry added 109,556 new meters, compared to 88,592 meters installed in November, reflecting a 23.7 per cent increase in meter installations month-on-month.

The rise in installations helped push the metering rate up by 0.73 percentage points between November and December, even as the total active customer base grew by 34,801 during the same period, the fact sheet showed.

Among the electricity Distribution Companies (Discos), Ikeja, Eko and Abuja maintained their leadership positions in metering coverage.

Ikeja Disco recorded the highest metering rate in December at 86.40 per cent, up from 85.91 per cent in November. Out of 1,308,042 active customers in December, 1,130,213 were metered, leaving 177,829 customers unmetered. The Disco added 7,748 new meters during the month.

Eko Disco followed closely with a metering rate of 85.87 per cent in December, improving from 84.86 per cent in November. Of its 641,411 active customers, 550,764 had meters, leaving 90,647 without meters. The company installed 9,535 new meters in December.

Abuja Disco ranked third with a metering rate of 77.81 per cent in December, up from 76.71 per cent in November. Out of 1,341,807 active customers, 1,044,014 were metered, leaving 297,793 customers unmetered. The Disco deployed 19,953 new meters during the month, the highest single-month addition among all the Discos.

At the mid-tier level, Port Harcourt Disco posted a metering rate of 64.13 per cent in December, up from 62.63 per cent in November. With 1,057,858 active customers, it had 678,446 metered customers, leaving 379,412 unmetered. The company installed 17,471 meters in December.

Ibadan Disco, the largest by customer numbers, had 2,444,715 active customers in December but only 1,267,503 were metered, translating to a metering rate of 51.85 per cent, a marginal increase from 51.65 per cent in November. This means 1,177,212 customers under its network remain unmetered, the highest absolute number nationwide. Ibadan added 11,298 meters during the month.

Benin Disco improved its metering rate from 51.97 per cent in November to 53.45 per cent in December. Out of 1,056,069 active customers, 564,500 were metered, leaving 491,569 unmetered. It installed 17,928 meters in December.

Enugu Disco recorded a marginal rise in its metering rate to 51.60 per cent in December from 51.51 per cent in November. Of its 1,641,569 active customers, 847,109 had meters, leaving 794,460 unmetered. The Disco added 1,538 meters in the month.

At the lower end of the spectrum, Jos, Kaduna, Kano and Yola Discos continued to post metering rates below 40 per cent.

Jos Disco improved its metering rate from 29.79 per cent in November to 31.43 per cent in December. Out of 818,628 active customers, only 257,258 were metered, leaving 561,370 unmetered. It installed 13,626 meters in December.

Kaduna Disco recorded a metering rate of 34.42 per cent in December, up from 33.95 per cent in November. Of its 543,497 active customers, 187,050 were metered, leaving 356,447 without meters. It added 3,119 meters during the month.

Kano Disco’s metering rate rose slightly from 35.02 per cent in November to 35.35 per cent in December. Out of 798,718 active customers, 282,319 were metered, leaving 516,399 unmetered. It installed 2,577 meters in December.

Besides, Yola Disco, one of the least performing, posted a metering rate of 30.80 per cent in December, up from 29.91 per cent in November. Of its 511,098 active customers, only 157,408 were metered, leaving 353,690 unmetered. It deployed 4,763 meters during the month.

Overall, while the industry continues to make incremental gains, the data underscored the scale of the metering deficit. As of December 2025, 5,196,828 active electricity customers across Nigeria remain without meters.

Although this represents a reduction of 74,755 unmetered customers compared to November’s 5,271,583, the pace of closure remains largely slow  relative to the size of the gap.

In the same vein, the dominance of Ikeja, Eko and Abuja Discos in metering coverage reflected stronger deployment capacity and possibly better financing structures, while the persistently low rates in parts of the North highlighted structural and operational challenges.

With over four in every 10 electricity customers still unmetered, the metering gap remains a central issue in Nigeria’s power sector reform, with implications for revenue assurance, consumer confidence and the long-running controversy over estimated billing.