Meter Asset Providers (MAPs) and Local Meter Manufacturers/Assemblers (LMMAs) have raised alarm over alleged widespread extortion by officials of some Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos), warning that the practice could drive up electricity costs for ordinary Nigerians.
The operators are calling for urgent intervention from regulators and the Federal Government to address what they describe as a growing systemic problem.In a joint statement, the groups said they had formally notified the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs), and the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI), among other stakeholders.
They warned that the alleged practices threaten the stability and efficiency of Nigeria’s metering value chain.
According to the operators, they are being compelled to make unofficial payments at nearly every stage of the metering process.
These stages include accreditation, participation in NERC’s bidding portal, meter delivery to DisCo facilities, portal uploads, issuance to installers, installation and commissioning, and even customer account creation.
The groups claimed the demands—ranging between ₦4,000 and ₦10,000 per meter under both the MAP and Meter Asset Financing (MAF) schemes—are no longer isolated incidents but have become entrenched in parts of the system.
They also expressed concerns that similar practices could affect the Distribution Company Metering (DISREP) scheme, alleging processes that may enable meter round-tripping.
MAPs and LMMAs warned that resisting such demands could threaten their operations, while the added costs are ultimately transferred to consumers.
They stressed that the situation risks keeping meter prices high, discouraging local manufacturing, distorting competition, and slowing Nigeria’s efforts to close its metering gap despite progress since the MAP scheme began in 2019.