Nigeria’s Federal Government on Thursday warned Distribution Companies (DisCos) to stop selling electricity meters to customers.
Minister of Power, Engr. Abubakar Aliyu, on Thursday, disclosed that procurement is free of charge.
Aliyu spoke at the weekly State House ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Media Team.
“These meters are free, we said it a number of times. These are tools that will generate liquidity. How can we be selling something that will bring in money?
“It is the responsibility of the DisCos and the government is seeing that they are not doing so. The government is giving the DisCos the meters to distribute for free.
“But there’ll always be “touts” and “kabu-kabu”. I think it’s the touts that are doing this kind of shoddy deal”, NAN quoted him saying.
Aliyu said the procurement of four million meters for the second phase of the mass metering programme is ongoing.
Confirming that close to one million meters have been rolled out under, the minister confirmed the focus on local manufacturers.
He said this would provide jobs like the 10,000 generated under the first phase’s installation and assembly.
Aliyu announced that the second phase contract will be awarded by the end of the second quarter of 2022.
The third phase will provide additional two million meters, funded through the World Bank, the official added.
Aliyu further advised underperforming DisCos to ensure the fulfillment of contractual agreements with the Federal Government or face sanctions.
