Business

MAN Warns Against Supply of 1.250 million Substandard Smart Energy Meters To DisCos By Foreign Firms

Published

3 years ago

July 15, 2023

OhiBaba

361 Views

By Ocheneyi Alli

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has warned that a repeat of supplying substandard energy meters by foreign companies to the electricity distributions companies (DisCos) is about to happen again, as the contract prices and terms fixed by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) doesn’t favour local meter manufacturers.

In a document, titled ‘ The National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) Phase 11 World Bank Funded Scheme For The Supply and Installation of 1.250 million Smart Energy Meters To Eleven Electricity Distribution Companies In Energy BID: DREP-PPI, CREDIT NO: 9206-NG, PROJECT ID NO: P172891′, MAN said : ” We are deeply concerned over the impending displacement of local meter manufacturers and assemblers in the downstream of the power sector in the process of government’s implementation of the NMMP Phase II World Bank funded supply of 1.2 million smart energy meters.

” The advertised financial requirements and the technical specifications by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) appears to be skewed against local manufacturers as they are outrageously stringent and negate the CBN guidelines for the implementation of National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP).

This is a federal government’s intervention in power sector to accelerate energy meter supply in the country to bridge the metering gap and ought to be in sync with our overall national economic development objectives.

The financial requirements and the technical specifications laid down by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), has sidelined the local meter manufacturers from participating in the implementation of the contracts.

Segun Ajayi-Kadir, the Director-General of MAN, said : ” We warn that this portends grave danger for the power sector as we may be witnessing a repeat of the ugly scenario in 2012 when local manufacturers were sidelined in the meter supply and the nation was greeted with supply of substandard meters supplied by the foreign companies that were awarded the contract that were later removed from the network.”

He notes that despite the capacities and the track records of the local meter manufacturers and assemblers across the country (the like of Momas Systems Nigeria Limited; Mojec International Limited, etc) in the energy contracts executions , again they are being displaced in the implementation of the NMMP Phase 11 contracts by the TCN.

He notes for instance , that local manufacturers deployed and installed a total number of 611,231 energy meters across the country between January 2019 till 31st January, 2021.

This is corroborated by the report of the Regulatory Agency, the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, under the Meter Assets Provider (MAP) initiative of the federal government.

Also, they deployed and installed 1million energy meters across the country under the phase zero of the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP).

This is under the Federal Government intervention aimed at increasing the metering rate to eliminate the inglorious and arbitrary estimated billing and strengthening the local meter value chain, as well as creating jobs.

Of course, this has also helped in reducing collection losses and increasing financial flows to achieve 100% market remittance obligations of the Discos and improving network monitoring capability and availability of data for market administration and investment decision making.

It should recall that our members have been denied the opportunity to fully execute the contract for the supply and installation of 4 million energy meters under the Phase 1 of the NMMP scheme.

This was due to the unrealistic terms that arbitrarily fixed the contract prices extremely and far below the approved regulatory prices of energy meters in the country.

Additionally, the contractual term of payment after the supply and installation of the meters have not been adhered to, thereby jeopardizing the financial capabilities of our members that participated in the scheme.

Related Topics:National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) Phase 11 World Bank Funded scheme Transmission Company of Nigeria

Up Next

Nigeria’s Inflation Rate Rises To 22.79%

Don't Miss

Emirates Begins Charter Flights For Travellers To GCC Destinations

Click to comment

Business

Tony Elumelu’s United Capital Secures approval to operate in Ethiopia

Elumeu lauded the transformational Prime Minister of Ethiopia, His Excellency @AbiyAhmedAli , for promoting economic reforms and regional cooperation, the Director General of Ethiopian Capital Market Authority @CMAEthiopia , Ms. Hana Tehelku, and the team at @UnitedCap on this landmark achievement.

Published

8 hours ago

June 9, 2026

OCHEFA

12 Views

United Capital Group has again secured regulatory approvals to commence operations in Ethiopia.

Its Chairman, Tony Elumelu, broke the news on Tuesday, via his official X.

” This development is particularly noteworthy because Ethiopia only recently opened its financial sector to foreign participation, making United Capital’s entry a historic step for both the company and the ongoing integration of African capital markets,” said Elumelu.

Last month, United Capital commenced operations in Rwanda, marking its formal entry into East Africa and reinforcing its ambition to build a leading continental financial services institution.

The Group’s newly established entities include United Capital Trustees Rwanda Limited, licensed to provide trusteeship services, and United Capital Financial Services Rwanda Limited, licensed to offer investment management services, including portfolio management, investment advisory, capital mobilisation, capital market advisory, and fund management solutions.

With this development, United Capital now operates in 11 countries, including Nigeria, with a strong presence in key African markets, a recent expansion into the eight countries within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) region, alongside a growing footprint in East Africa.

According to Elumelu, African institutions are increasingly leading, competing, and succeeding across the continent.

For decades, Africa witnessed foreign capital flowing in while profits largely flowed out.

That narrative is beginning to change.

This is Africapitalism in action — a vision that recognizes the importance of both indigenous and international capital working together to finance Africa’s development and unlock shared prosperity.

Business

Lagos developing world – class new business district —Sanwo-Olu

Sanwo-Olu said Lagos was deliberately building a globally competitive economy driven by innovation, infrastructure and private-sector participation.

Published

12 hours ago

June 9, 2026

OCHEFA

19 Views

• Invest Lagos Summit 3.0: Secretary to the Lagos State Government, ‘Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin (right); Member, House of Representatives, Kafilat Ogbara; Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Tunbosun Alake; Chairman, Commonwealth Enterprise & Investment Council (CWEIC), Lord Jonathan Marland; Vice President Kashim Shettima; Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade & Investment, Mrs Folashade Bada Ambrose-Medebem; Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Sam Egube, Dr Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji and members of the State Executives Council at the opening of Invest Lagos 3.0, themed: “Lagos – The Business Gateway to Africa”, in Lagos, yesterday.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has disclosed that as part of efforts to deepen access to global capital, his administration is developing the Lagos International Financial Centre (LIFC), envisioned as a world-class financial district that would strengthen the state’s position as a gateway for investment into Africa.

Speaking yesterday at the third edition of the Invest Lagos Summit, attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, other governors, foreign investors, development finance institutions and business leaders, Sanwo-Olu said Lagos was deliberately building a globally competitive economy driven by innovation, infrastructure and private-sector participation.

Sanwo-Olu said that the state had recorded significant economic progress in recent years through targeted reforms across transportation, digital infrastructure and industrial development.

Highlighting key infrastructure achievements, Sanwo-Olu cited investments in road networks, waterways and rail transportation, describing them as critical enablers of economic growth and investor confidence.

The governor noted that Lagos was increasingly serving as a gateway to African markets and global capital, positioning itself at the centre of continental trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

According to him, Lagos remains one of the continent’s most strategic economic hubs, with a population exceeding 25 million and a gross domestic product steadily approaching the $300 billion mark.