Nigeria’s electricity regulator has ordered power distribution companies to refund more than 20 billion naira ($) to customers who paid for electricity meters under a government-backed scheme.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) said electricity distribution companies, known as DisCos, must reimburse a total of 20.33 billion naira within 12 months starting from 1 March 2026.
The directive was contained in an amended order issued by the regulator on 1 March.
Under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme, customers who could not get meters directly from DisCos were allowed to purchase them through approved providers. In return, the distribution companies were required to refund the cost through energy credits applied to customers’ electricity bills in equal instalments.
However, NERC said a review conducted in February found that many customers had not been fully reimbursed.
“The review highlighted that DisCos have an outstanding amount of NGN20.33 billion to reimburse customers for meters procured under the MAP framework as at 31 December 2025,” the commission said.
The regulator added that it had received numerous complaints from customers about delays and shortcomings in the refund process.
To address this, NERC directed all DisCos to accelerate repayments and spread the outstanding balance across 12 equal monthly instalments. The refunds will be applied as deductions from customers’ electricity bills.
The commission also ordered distribution companies to automate the reimbursement process on customer accounts, submit monthly reports detailing payments made, and create a dedicated email address to handle complaints from affected customers.
NERC said the measures are aimed at streamlining the refund process, preventing further delays, and improving trust in Nigeria’s electricity sector.
