Nigeria Buys 1.37m Chinese Electricity Meters Under $500m World Bank Loan
By Momodu Favour
Nigeria has procured at least 1.37 million electricity meters from China under the $500 million Nigeria Distribution Sector Recovery Programme funded by the world bank as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to reduce the country’s long-standing metering deficit.
Details of the procurement are contained in a restructuring paper released on the bank’s website and obtained on Friday.
The document shows that a contract for the first batch of 1.44 million meters was signed in August 2024 and became effective in February 2025.
According to the bank, 408,000 meters have so far arrived in Nigeria, with about 130,000 already installed across distribution networks.
It further disclosed that 95 per cent of the meters in the first batch have been manufactured and are either awaiting shipment in China or already in transit to Nigeria.
Ninety-five per cent of 1.44 million translates to 1,368,000 units approximately 1.37 million meters indicating that the bulk of the first batch has been completed by the manufacturers.
The Nigeria Distribution Sector Recovery Programme, approved on February 4, 2021, has a total financing commitment of $500 million.
The Programme Development Objective is to improve the financial and technical performance of the country’s electricity distribution companies, many of which have struggled with revenue shortfalls and infrastructure challenges since privatisation.
Despite the scale of the loan, disbursement has remained relatively low. A summary contained in the restructuring paper shows that out of the $500 million commitment from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, $69.09 million has been disbursed so far, leaving $404.72 million undisbursed.
This represents a disbursement rate of 13.82 per cent as of the reporting date.
The mass metering initiative is expected to reduce estimated billing, improve revenue collection for distribution companies, and enhance transparency in electricity consumption for millions of households and businesses across the country.
Nigeria has faced a persistent metering gap for years, with many electricity consumers complaining of arbitrary billing practices.
The Federal Government has repeatedly pledged to close the gap as part of broader power sector reforms aimed at stabilising supply and restoring investor confidence in the industry.
