Despite the Federal Government’s spirited efforts, reports reaching us indicate that electricity consumers in the country are yet to feel the impact of a scheme introduced last year to expedite the deployment of meters as its implementation has been delayed.
When the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission unveiled the Meter Asset Provider Regulation in March last year, electricity consumers who were being subjected to estimated billing by power distribution companies hailed the initiative.
The MAP regulation, which introduced a new set of service providers in the power sector called meter asset providers, was designed to fast-track the roll-out of meters through the engagement of third-party investors for the financing, procurement, supply, installation and maintenance of electricity meters.
The Discos were required to commence the procurement process of engaging meter asset providers to serve their service areas in accordance with an approved roll-out plan.
With the regulation becoming effective on April 3, 2018, the Discos were expected to, within 120 days from the effective date, engage the services of MAPs towards the achievement of their three-year metering targets prescribed by NERC.
But more than nine months after its introduction, the impact of the metering initiative has not yet been felt by consumers as the process of procuring MAPs has not been concluded by the Discos.
The regulator, which only announced on May 23 that it had cleared 22 firms intending to participate in the meter procurement process to be conducted by the Discos, had to extend the deadline for the procurement to October 31. NERC said the number of firms seeking to become MAPs rose to 115 as of November 22 from the 101 that were granted ‘No Objection’ as of October 17.
Source: Energy Mix Report
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