Nigeria’s New N28bn Metering Intervention Faces Questions Over N1.5trn “Ghost” Expenditure
Story: write by Uzuh Rita October 28,2025
Nigeria’s power sector reform has taken a controversial turn as a fresh N28 billion metering bailout is introduced despite major accountability concerns surrounding a previous N1.5 trillion intervention. Stakeholders are questioning why a new funding round is necessary when millions of electricity consumers still remain unmetered, and transparency issues over past spending persist.
The earlier N1.5 trillion allocation was intended to close the huge metering gap and reduce estimated billing across the country. However, sector analysts argue that the funds delivered little measurable improvement, leaving consumers frustrated and distribution companies under pressure.
The Federal Government’s latest initiative aims to accelerate smart meter deployment and enhance revenue assurance for power distributors. Critics insist that without a proper audit of the earlier expenditure, the nation risks repeating mistakes that contributed to inefficiencies and corrupt leakages in the sector.
Industry experts have called for stringent accountability, insisting that only clear due diligence and public reporting can restore confidence in power sector financing and ensure Nigerians finally receive fair and accurate billing.
