ABUJA
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has given instructions to electricity distribution companies to resume the Meter Assets Providers (MAP) programme, recently slowed down by the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP).
Although the DisCos’ MAP has been in existence for some years, the NMMP programme, under the office of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, was introduced in 2020 to bridge the wide metering gap in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).
While the MAP had barely reached 400,000 homes in 2020, FG’s NMMP intervention in Phase 0 succeeded in reaching over 800,000 homes.
Chairman of the NERC, Sanusi Garba, said, last week, that Phase 1 of the Federal Government’s NMMP was billed to begin in August and, as a result, DisCos had been ordered to resume and speed up on the MAP.
“By the end of August meters from local manufacturers will be deployed by the DisCos. As a result, DisCoshave been ordered to re-open the MAP and customers are advised to take advantage of the window to purchase theirs if they cannot wait for the free meters,” he said.
Garba disclosed that 45 local meter manufacturers were currently jostling to be signed under FG’s meter providers’ programme.
“Names of winners of the bid rounds will be announced as soon as the process is completed,” he said.
Phase 1 of the NMMP targets four million households.
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