The Federal Government has announced a nationwide ban on electricity distribution companies (DisCos) and meter installers from charging consumers for electricity meter installation, warning that offenders will face prosecution.
The directive was issued on Thursday by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, during an inspection of a new consignment of smart electricity meters at APM Terminals, Apapa, Lagos.
The meters were procured under the World Bank–funded Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), which aims to close Nigeria’s metering gap and improve transparency in electricity billing.
Adelabu stressed that all meters supplied through the DISREP initiative must be installed at no cost to consumers, regardless of customer category.
He described it as a criminal offence for any DisCo staff member or meter installer to demand payment before installing the meters, noting that the government will enforce strict sanctions against violators.
