Nigerian government partners with Chinese firm to bridge 1.4 million smart meter deficit

The federal government has taken significant steps to address Nigeria’s long-standing shortage of electricity meters. In partnership with Chinese companies, the government aims to install over 1.4 million smart meters across the country.

The agreement signed between the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), electricity distribution companies (DisCos), and Chinese companies; Ningbo Sanxing Medical and Electric Company Limited, Ningbo Sanxing Smart Electric Company Limited, and Messrs XJ Group Corporation, was announced on Friday by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

The signing ceremony took place at the BPE headquarters in Abuja.

“The project is part of the Distribution Sector Recovery Program (DISREP), funded by a $500 million World Bank facility through an Investment Project Financing (IPF) arrangement,” TCN said.

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The project, funded by a $500 million World Bank facility through an Investment Project Financing (IPF) arrangement, is part of the broader Distribution Sector Recovery Program (DISREP).

TCN CEO, Sule Abdulaziz, highlighted the importance of the project, stating that it would help bridge the 7.1 million meter gap that exists in Nigeria.

In a separate development, Energy Minister Adebayo Adelabu disclosed that the federal and state governments have jointly raised N100 billion for the procurement of prepaid electricity meters. The World Bank has also pledged to support Nigeria with an additional two million meters over the next two years.

All these initiatives collectively demonstrate the government’s commitment to improving electricity access and distribution in Nigeria. By addressing the metering gap, the government aims to improve revenue collection, reduce electricity theft, and improve the overall efficiency of the electricity sector.

Nigerian government partners with Chinese firm to bridge 1.4m smart meter deficit first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.