Fashola: 108 firms approved to supply electricity meters

Babatunde Fashola, minister of power, works, and housing, says 108 firms have been approved to supply electricity meters.

The minister said this in Lagos on Sunday during a neighborhood campaign for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Speaking to voters at his ward, Fashola said the deployment of the firms for the meter asset providers (MAPs) scheme will end estimated billing and improve power supply.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) introduced the MAP regulation on April 3, 2018, to new investors finance mass metering plan which is expected to reduce incidences of estimated billing to the barest minimum.

“It is the solution of our government by the president to intervene in the metering gaps, people were licensed as Gencos and Discos,” the minister said.

“Discos have the contract to supply meters and we hear the concerns of citizens now saying that they want meters because their bills are going up.

“So the president and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the proposal for us supported by the law, the Electric Power Sector Reform, with that, we can license new operators within a licensed area.

“So this time, we are going to create new businesses for meter suppliers under a Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme. That policy has been approved.

“Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has made the regulations around which it will work; 108 companies, small businesses that will also create employment because those companies are now going to be the suppliers of meters.

“They are going to employ people to install the meters, they are going to buy meters, they are going to make meters.”