TDr. Abubakar Ibrahim of Jos Electricity Distribution Plc says accurate metering, trusted billing, customer engagement and stronger monitoring are essential to improve electricity revenue collection and strengthen Nigeria’s power market.
Speaking at the Nigeria Energy Leadership Summit in Lagos, Ibrahim argues that strategic meter placement, accurate customer records and payment discipline must work together to convert electricity consumed into revenue for the entire value chain.
LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigeria’s drive to improve electricity revenue collection requires more than installing prepaid and smart meters, according to Dr. Abubakar Ibrahim, State Operating Officer of Jos Electricity Distribution Plc, who has called for a more comprehensive approach built around customer trust, accurate billing, strategic meter placement and stronger monitoring.
Ibrahim made the point during a panel discussion at the Nigeria Energy Leadership Summit, held alongside Nigeria Energy 2026 at Landmark Centre, Lagos, from October 27 to 29.
He argued that electricity metering must be treated as part of a wider commercial process that begins with measuring consumption, continues through accurate billing and payment collection, and ends with reinvestment in the electricity supply chain.
The discussion comes as Nigeria continues to grapple with millions of unmetered electricity customers, revenue collection challenges and the financial pressures affecting generation, distribution and other market participants.
Nigeria’s metering gap remains a major challenge
By August 2026, Nigeria had approximately 12.75 million active electricity customers, of whom 8.05 million were metered, representing a national metering rate of 63.10 per cent. About 4.7 million customers remained without meters, according to figures reported from NERC’s metering factsheet.
The national figure also masks significant differences among distribution companies. Jos Electricity Distribution Plc recorded a metering rate of 37.60 per cent in August, placing it among the lowest-performing DisCos on this measure.
For Ibrahim, metering is fundamental because it provides a basis for accountability: electricity consumed must be measured before the amount due can be calculated accurately.
But he stressed that the value of a meter extends beyond its installation. The information it produces must be reliable, billing must reflect actual consumption, and payments must be collected and returned to the market to support the wider electricity value chain.
Why metering must translate into money
Ibrahim explained that electricity distribution companies must collect revenue to meet obligations across the power sector, including payments to generation companies, network operators and gas suppliers.
When consumption is not measured accurately, customer records are incomplete or bills are disputed, the process can break down before revenue reaches the market.
He described the process as a chain in which measurement, billing, customer engagement and payment collection are interconnected.
His argument is that a metering programme cannot be judged solely by the number of devices installed. It must also be assessed by whether meters are correctly positioned, customer data are accurate, bills are credible and the resulting revenue is collected.
The distinction is important for the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, where financial obligations move across multiple parts of the value chain. Weakness at the distribution and collection stage can affect the capacity of companies to meet their market commitments and maintain infrastructure.
Customer trust is central to payment compliance
Addressing the relationship between tariff adjustments, enforcement and customer payments, Ibrahim emphasised the need for distribution companies to engage consumers and reconcile billing disputes.
He argued that customers need to understand the basis of their bills, the energy recorded against their accounts and any outstanding debt attributed to them.
Where customers question the accuracy of meter installation, registration or consumption records, he warned, the resulting mistrust can undermine payment collection.
The approach he advocated involves explaining the debt, establishing whether the customer accepts the billing information, reconciling discrepancies and agreeing on repayment where appropriate.
This places customer engagement alongside enforcement rather than treating the two as substitutes. A distribution company may pursue payment obligations, but credible billing and a transparent dispute-resolution process are important to sustaining customers’ confidence.
NERC’s October 2026 metering guidance also outlines customer rights and procedures relating to meter installation, repairs, reimbursement, disconnection and complaints. Customers are advised to approach their DisCo and, where necessary, the relevant regulatory forum or state regulator, depending on the applicable regulatory arrangements.
Wrongly positioned meters can undermine revenue assurance
A further concern raised during the panel discussion was the placement and monitoring of meters.
Ibrahim said utilities can face difficulties when meters are installed at locations that make monitoring, inspection or revenue protection more complicated. He also pointed to the cost of relocating meters when their original placement proves unsuitable.
He argued that utilities need greater control over the installation process, including clearer responsibility for where meters are placed and how they will be monitored.
In his assessment, strategic metering requires distribution companies to understand local conditions before installing equipment. Factors include customer consumption patterns, payment history, technical losses and the security or accessibility of the installation site.
These considerations, he suggested, should influence where meters are installed and how the resulting data are managed.
The objective is to ensure that meters support accurate accounting from end to end, rather than create additional operational challenges after deployment.
Accurate customer enumeration is just as important
Ibrahim also highlighted the need to reconcile customer databases with the actual number of electricity users in the field.
He described a situation in which a utility’s database might list 10,000 customers while field conditions reveal 15,000. Such a mismatch, he argued, makes it difficult to achieve complete metering, reliable billing and effective revenue assurance.
Customer enumeration—the process of identifying and recording customers and their relevant details—therefore needs to be a priority alongside meter deployment.
Reliable records help utilities connect meters to the correct customers, validate consumption data, identify discrepancies and reduce the risk of billing gaps.
Without accurate customer information, even a technically functional meter may not deliver its full commercial value.
Three priorities for better electricity revenue collection
Asked what could improve DisCo revenue collection over the next 12 months, Ibrahim outlined three priorities.
1. Strategic metering: Utilities should assess consumption patterns, local loss levels, customer payment behaviour and installation conditions before deciding where meters should be placed.
2. Stronger commercial strategies: Customers should be segmented according to their characteristics and payment arrangements, allowing utilities to develop appropriate engagement and collection approaches for residential consumers, major customers and government institutions.
3. Payment discipline: Once consumption has been measured and a credible bill issued, customers must fulfil their payment obligations. Ibrahim argued that the revenue collected is needed to sustain the electricity market and support investment in networks.
His position was that these measures should operate together. Meter installation without accurate billing and effective collection will not automatically resolve the financial difficulties of distribution companies.
Smart meters also need stronger network monitoring
The panel discussion further highlighted the limits of relying on smart meters alone when the surrounding distribution infrastructure remains vulnerable to faults, interference or inadequate monitoring.
Ibrahim argued that utilities must improve their ability to monitor the network and oversee meter installations. He also raised concerns about installations carried out by third parties without sufficient control over the final meter location.
His comments point to a wider infrastructure issue: digital measurement equipment needs to be supported by suitable network management, reliable data and clearly assigned responsibilities for installation and maintenance.
For distribution companies, improving monitoring can help identify irregularities and make it easier to reconcile what is supplied, consumed, billed and paid for.
Nigeria Energy Leadership Summit puts power-sector liquidity in focus
The remarks were made at the Nigeria Energy Leadership Summit, part of the 13th edition of Nigeria Energy 2026, which brings together stakeholders from across the power and energy value chain.
The official programme identifies the summit as a platform for discussion among government representatives, generation and distribution companies, gas suppliers, technology providers and other industry participants. Its themes include power-system stability, digital transformation, profitability and sustainability.
Within that wider conversation, metering and revenue collection are closely connected to the sector’s ability to meet payment obligations, maintain networks and improve service delivery.
Ibrahim’s central message was that utilities need to make the entire commercial process work: identify customers correctly, install meters strategically, measure consumption accurately, engage customers transparently and collect payments consistently.
For Nigeria’s electricity market, closing the metering gap remains important. But as the discussion highlighted, turning that progress into stronger revenue and a more financially sustainable power sector will also require reliable data, customer trust, effective monitoring and payment discipline.
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