Nigeria's Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, announced that 350,000 meters have been installed across the country in his first 100 days in office. This development is part of a broader effort to improve consumer confidence, billing, collection, and remittance in the power sector. Tegbe, who assumed office in June, emphasized that metering is crucial for reliable electricity. The installations are part of a larger goal to replace disputed estimates with measured consumption and improve revenue accountability.
As of August 2026, a cumulative total of 1,004,260 meters have been installed. The resolution of the AMMON litigation has enabled the procurement of approximately 1.4 million smart meters across affected programs. Additionally, 90,000 meter installations have been recorded for military formations. These efforts aim to enhance revenue accountability and address energy theft. The minister highlighted that these developments are critical for sustaining deployment and improving the overall efficiency of the power sector.
The Power Force program has trained 5,000 young Nigerians as smart-meter installers, building the skills needed to sustain deployment. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to improve the skills and capacity of the workforce in the power sector. Furthermore, the 375MW Alaoji open-cycle power plant has been restored to the national grid after being offline for three years. This restoration has significantly increased the country's power generation capacity.
Network interventions in Lagos and Abuja have unlocked an additional 912MW of transmission capacity. New transformers commissioned at Apapa, Ijora, Alausa, and Lekki have unlocked 672MW, while a 300MVA transformer energized at Katampe has added another 240MW. These upgrades have significantly enhanced the country's transmission capacity, enabling more efficient distribution of power.
Generation and transmission have exceeded 5,000MW in recent weeks, compared to the 3,700MW–4,700MW range before June. A generation peak of 5,330MW was recorded during August and September. Despite these achievements, the Ministry remains focused on converting system-level improvements into dependable electricity at the customer level. This involves addressing the challenges of unpaid bills, gas supply, and maintenance.
An estimated N1.23 trillion has been raised towards settling the backlog of power-sector debt, part of a broader program addressing the sector's estimated N3.3 trillion debt. Improving liquidity is essential to prevent the financial weakness of one segment of the value chain from undermining others. The Minister emphasized that unpaid bills weaken gas supply and maintenance, while unreliable supply depresses collections and deepens debt.
The Ministry has also addressed energy theft and revenue losses estimated at N120 billion annually along the Ikorodu-Sagamu industrial corridor. Additionally, over 300 containers of critical power equipment held at ports have been released, inspected, and deployed to support transmission infrastructure upgrades. The Ministry plans to deepen grid stabilization along key corridors and conduct technical audits to identify weak points and guide investment.
Key points
- 350,000 meters installed in 100 days
- N1.23 trillion raised to settle power-sector debt
- Generation and transmission exceed 5,000MW
