The Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Musiliu Oseni, has announced that there are currently between 600,000 and 700,000 electricity meters accessible within the nation, urging distribution companies to accelerate their deployment and enhance public outreach.
In a post shared from NERC’s X handle on Tuesday, during his address at the 4th NESI Stakeholders Meeting held in Abuja, Oseni emphasized that the government has made the essential investments to secure the availability of these meters, and it is now incumbent upon the DisCos to ensure their prompt delivery to customers.
“There are presently 600,000 to 700,000 meters accessible in the country. Utilities must enhance their promotional efforts. The government has invested, so the DisCos need to enhance their actions.”
He also spoke about the ongoing transition to State Electricity Regulatory Commissions, urging DisCos to wholly cooperate with the newly appointed regulators. According to him, no operator surpasses the necessary regulatory scrutiny. “No licensee is greater than their regulator,” he cautioned, underscoring that DisCos must align with the evolving regulatory framework as states assume increased responsibilities for power sector governance.
Oseni also clarified recent misconceptions regarding the tenure of NERC commissioners. He explained that the “staggering principle” referenced in Section 36 of the Electricity Act—initially derived from the Electricity Power Sector Reform Act (EPSRA)—only pertains to the founding commission.
All subsequent chairpersons and commissioners, he affirmed, possess fixed five-year terms as outlined in Section 36(1) of the Act. This meeting represents Oseni’s concluding NESI stakeholders’ gathering in his role as Vice Chairman.
