A group, the All Electricity Consumers Protection Forum (AECPF) has asked the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to provide data on the total number of meters distributed so far by electricity distribution companies (DisCos).
The group, in a freedom of information (FOI) application, asked NERC to specifically provide information on meters distributed by the DisCos under the Meter Assets Provider (MAP) scheme and the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP).
A copy of the letter dated June 28 and signed by Mr Adeola Samuel-Ilori, national coordinator, AECPF was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.
The group asked the power sector regulatory agency to provide the information within seven days of receiving the letter, pursuant to Section 4 (1) (2) of the FOI Act.
“It is necessary to have this data by our group to help fulfill one of the cardinal objectives which includes monitoring the activities of power sector stakeholders as it affects the consumers.
“It has been observed that the consumers are not aware how many meters have been installed via MAP despite payment and may have not been supplied before the introduction of NMMP by the Federal Government,” the group said.
According to the group, the distribution of the government support meters have remained shrouded in secrecy by the DisCos, hence, those who paid cannot differentiate between MAP and NMMP scheme.
It said the data should be provided in clear terms distinguishing the customers who have paid and have been metered under MAP and those who have paid and were yet to be metered.
The group said that it also needed information on customers metered so far under the NMMP flagged off by the federal government on October 30, 2020 with a target of six million meters by 2023.
“We believe as a regulatory organisation, it is imperative for DisCos to have supplied this information to your office, hence our letter to your office using the provision of FOI Act to request for same,” it said. (NAN)
