Oil & Energy

World Bank-Funded $500m Meters To Be Given Free, Says BPE ……….Urges Customers To Beware Of Extortion

Published

9 months ago

February 9, 2026

The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) Director-General, Dr. Ayodeji Gbeleyi, has said the meters provided under the $500 million World Bank funded Distribution Recovery Program (DISREP) are free.

He stated that the installation of the meters is free of charge as well, warning customers to resist of any electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) compelling them to pay for them.

According to him, the Federal Government has provided the meters to eliminate estimated billings from the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

Speaking alongside other industry stakeholders at the media briefing on DISREP supply, in Abuja, Gbeleyi said 182,000 meters are already installed under the DISREP, which he stressed are for all.

The BPE boss stressed that the meters are for customers who have no meters, however the government has granted DisCos request to allow them deploy 20 per cent of the meters for replacement of faulty or expiring meters.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Chairman, Dr. Musliu Oseni, said

“The government has taken responsibility to borrow money and provided these meters and said DisCos ‘I don’t want you to charge my people for these meters. Go and distribute these meters freely.’

“These meters are to be deployed and installed freely. Anybody asking you to bring money, kindly report to the utility because most of the time, the extortion is between the installers or staff of the DisCos and the customers.This is not inclusive of the management.”

Speaking further, Oseni explained that although customers pay for meters that operators provide them, the government has already absorbed the DISREP meters cost through the Word Bank facility.

He said: “Every investment made by the GenCos and DisCos is paid for by the customers as far as it is provided by the operators. But the Federal Government is taking responsibility of the DISREP to procure these meters.

On the payment of subsidy, he said some reforms are underway as states fully take over electricity market.

“There will be some reforms that will happen when the states take over subsidy regulations,” said Oseni.

Describing any call for payment for procurement or installation of DISREP meters as extortion, he urged the customers to report any demand for such payment to the commission.

According to him, timeline for tariff rate is dependent on the government to decide.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director, Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) Managing Director, Engr. Abdulaziz Sule, who recalled that the metering gap in the industry used to be 10 million meters, noted that it has reduced to 5 million metering gap.

He noted that the government has met 75 per cent of the DISREP requirements adding that 30 per cent of the meters have already arrived Nigeria.

Similarly, the Nigerian Electricity Management Service Agency (NEMSA), Acting Managing Director, Dr. Peter Asuben, revealed that as at December 2025, the agency had tested 576,208 meters and also tested 18,716 in January 2026.

On his part, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, who was represented by Dr. Adedayo Olowoniyi, said the DISREP was introduced to strengthen the downstream sector – distribution of electricity.

Represented by Dr. Adedayo Olowoniyi, Adelabu vowed that his administration would bridge the metering gap in the industry saying “During this administration, the metering gap will be closed”.

Oil & Energy

15-Year Blackout: NDPHC Begins Electricity Project In Kaduna Community

Published

7 days ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

The Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC) has commenced a major electricity project aimed at ending a 15-year blackout in Rigasa community, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The General Manager, Corporate Communication and External Relations, NDPHC, Nazo Agim, made this known in a statement, in Abuja, at the weekend.

Agim said that the project, facilitated by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Ideological Group (BAT-IG), comprises a two-kilometre 11kV line, a 1.5-kilometre 33kV line and a 7.5MVA, 33/11kV injection substation.Access Services

According to him, the project is designed to strengthen electricity distribution and improve power supply to residents and businesses in the community.

He said that the Rigasa project underscored NDPHC’s commitment to extending critical electricity infrastructure beyond generation to bridge distribution gaps.

He also said that the project would stimulate socioeconomic development and improve the quality of life in underserved communities across Nigeria.

Agim disclosed that a groundbreaking ceremony was performed earlier on Friday, by the Kaduna state Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, who represented Governor Uba Sani.

According to him, Balarabe, while speaking during the ceremony commended NDPHC for the intervention, describing it as a life-saving initiative that would address the community’s longstanding electricity challenges.

The NDPHC Managing Director, Jennifer Adighije, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to addressing the community’s electricity challenges.

Represented by the Executive Director, Networks, Babayo Bello, Adighije also reiterated NDPHC’s commitment to supporting President Bola Tinubu’s vision of improving electricity supply across the country.

She said that although NDPHC’s primary mandate was power generation, the company’s interventions also extended to transmission and distribution infrastructure to address critical gaps and expand electricity access.

According to her, the Rigasa project represents a worthwhile investment that will ease residents’ hardship and demonstrate the impact of targeted infrastructure development in underserved communities.Access Services

NDPHC Executive Director, Strategy and Commercial, Patrick Obahiagbon, commended the Kaduna state government and the community for their cooperation and support for the project.

The District Head of Rigasa, Mohammed Idris, also commended NDPHC’s management for its commitment to expanding electricity access in the community.

Oil & Energy

FG Commissions 640MW Transmission Capacity To National Grid

Published

7 days ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

As the federal government intensifies efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s power infrastructure, it has commissioned 640 megawatts (MW) of electricity transmission capacity to the national grid with an additional six transmission substations in Kano and Katsina states, respectively.

The projects comprise four substations at Walalambe, Kumbotso, Dakata and Dan-Agundi in Kano State, which collectively add 544MW of transmission capacity, and two 60 megavolt amperes (MVA) substations in Kankia Local Government Area of Katsina State, contributing another 96MW.

The additional capacity is expected to improve the transmission network’s ability to evacuate and deliver available electricity to distribution companies and consumers in the two states.

The Ministry of Power announced the developments in a statement issued at the weekend.

According to the statement, the additional capacity is expected to improve the transmission network’s ability to evacuate and deliver available electricity to distribution companies and consumers in the two states.

The projects, however, increase transmission capacity rather than electricity generation, implying that their impact on supply would depend partly on the availability of power from generating plants and the capacity of downstream distribution networks.

Speaking at the commissioning of the Kankia substation, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the projects reflected President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to improving the country’s electricity infrastructure.

“Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda recognizes that economic ambition requires dependable infrastructure,” Tegbe said.

He added that investments in electricity infrastructure would strengthen the foundations for business expansion, employment and economic growth.

The Kankia substations comprise two 60 MVA, 132/33 kilovolt (kV) facilities designed to strengthen the transmission network serving Katsina State and neighbouring areas.

Tegbe said the infrastructure would improve the network’s ability to distribute available electricity, supporting commercial activities and household welfare.

He also urged residents to protect the facilities against vandalism and other activities that could disrupt electricity infrastructure, asking them to report suspicious activities to TCN or security agencies.

Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, described the project as a significant investment in the state’s electricity infrastructure.

Radda stated that improved electricity supply could support industrial development, economic growth and public service delivery.

He further commended the President, the Federal Ministry of Power and TCN for completing the project.

It would be noted that the latest projects come amid a broader government’s drive to address bottlenecks in Nigeria’s electricity transmission network, which has constrained the amount of electricity that can be delivered to distribution companies and end users.

Oil & Energy

NBTI Unveils $600m Investment Pipeline Innovation

Published

7 days ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

The National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI) has unveiled an investment and development-finance pipeline exceeding $600 million, alongside a proposed solar energy programme targeting one million micro and small businesses across Nigeria.

The Director-General, NBTI, Dr Kazeem Raji, disclosed this while presenting the outcomes of the 2026 NextGen Innovation Challenge at a World Press Conference, Abuja.

Raji said the investment pipeline comprised a proposed $500m solar energy programme for universities and polytechnics, which would be developed in partnership with Gigawatt Global, and a $100m financing opportunity linked to the Tinubu Light Initiative under a memorandum of understanding with Financial Innovation for Impact, UK, also known as Cambridge Investors.

He, however, clarified that the funds had not been fully secured or disbursed, stressing that their realisation would depend on due diligence, financing arrangements, contractual commitments, regulatory approvals and implementation requirements.

“These figures represent proposed investment and financing opportunities and should not be interpreted as $600m already received, disbursed or fully deployed in Nigeria,” he said.

According to Raji, the initiative was designed to connect Nigerian innovators with international investors, business leaders and development partners to accelerate the commercialisation of indigenous technologies.

He said the challenge attracted 298 Nigerian innovators from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, up from 105 participants in 2025.

The innovations showcased covered artificial intelligence, robotics, agriculture, healthcare, education, renewable energy, telecommunications, digital technology, enterprise software, 3D printing and advanced manufacturing.

“Our message is straightforward: Nigeria’s innovators deserve visibility, our enterprises deserve opportunities to grow, and our technologies deserve pathways to the marketplace,” Raji said.

He added that NBTI’s priority was to move beyond showcasing ideas to helping innovators develop commercially viable products, establish sustainable businesses and create jobs.

The proposed Tinubu Light Initiative is expected to support one million micro and small businesses through access to solar energy solutions, with a proposed target of training and deploying 10,000 field marketers and creating 50,000 direct youth employment opportunities.

The initiative also targets N30bn in blended financing for its first phase and estimates annual economic benefits of about N12bn, subject to its underlying assumptions and implementation outcomes.

Raji said the programme was conceived to address the energy challenges facing small businesses, including high operating costs associated with unreliable electricity and dependence on petrol and diesel generators.

Tailors, barbers, hairdressers, pharmacies, food vendors, neighbourhood retailers, printing businesses and digital-service providers, he stated, are among the potential beneficiaries.

He said the initiative also envisaged opportunities to promote business formalisation and financial inclusion, particularly among informal enterprises, where appropriate arrangements could be established.

However, the NBTI director-general acknowledged that the programme’s success would depend on sound financing, transparent beneficiary selection, reliable equipment, maintenance arrangements and measurable delivery.

“Our vision is to make clean-energy access an enabler of enterprise development, not merely an infrastructure intervention,” he said.