The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has reported an increase in the number of active electricity customers across the country, rising from 11.89 million in July to 11.96 million in August 2025.
According to the commission’s latest Metering Factsheet for July and August 2025, published on its official X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram pages on Monday, the updated figures represent data collected from all 11 electricity distribution companies operating in Nigeria.
In its breakdown, NERC stated that 6.58 million customers have been metered, bringing the national metering rate to 55.01 percent, up slightly from 54.71 percent recorded in July. The report also showed that 70,888 customers were newly metered in August compared to 76,783 in July, indicating continued progress in Nigeria’s metering efforts within the electricity supply industry.
Okay News reports that the commission linked the steady rise in metered customers to ongoing reforms and investments by distribution companies aimed at improving transparency in billing and boosting public confidence in the sector.
Eko Electricity Distribution Company recorded a metering coverage of 84.25 percent, while Ikeja Electric achieved 84.83 percent. Abuja Electricity Distribution Company followed with 73.92 percent coverage, making them the top-performing firms in the metering exercise.
Earlier in April, NERC sanctioned eight distribution companies — Abuja, Ikeja, Eko, Enugu, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, and Yola — for violating approved energy caps in estimated billing for unmetered customers. The affected companies were collectively fined over ₦628 million and were instructed to credit the accounts of all impacted customers.
In a separate update, NERC disclosed that 225,631 meters were installed nationwide in the second quarter of 2025 — a 20.55 percent rise compared to 187,161 meters installed in the first quarter. Out of these, 147,823 meters were installed under the Meter Asset Provider initiative, 65,315 through the Meter Acquisition Fund, 12,259 via vendor financing, and 234 through the DisCo-financed scheme.
