Nigeria electricity distributors install record 357,000 meters, face N159 bn revenue gap in Q1 2026

Electricity distribution companies (DisCos) in Nigeria installed 357,495 meters in the first quarter of 2026, a 10.4% rise from the previous quarter and the highest quarterly total in the last five quarters. Benin Electricity Distribution Company led with 20.35% of installations, followed by Abuja Electricity Distribution Company at 14.08%. The federal Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP) accounted for 129,224 meters, the largest share of the deployment, contributing to a cumulative 217,784 smart meters under the programme.

During the same period, DisCos billed N756.93 billion but collected only N597.56 billion, leaving an uncollected balance of N159 billion and a collection efficiency of 78.95%, down from 79.36% in Q4 2025. Ikeja DisCo achieved the highest efficiency at 90%, while Kaduna recorded the lowest at 45.81%. The shortfall impacts liquidity across the electricity value chain, affecting generators, the transmission company, and gas suppliers.