By Danlami Nasir Isah
Electricity Distribution Companies (Discos) operating in Nigeria have been ordered by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to henceforth connect and install meters for new customers within 10 days after a written request has been made.
NERC, in a charter unveiled on April 17, is aiming at improving electricity supply services to the public, and insists that Discos are under obligation to visit a consumer’s premises within 24 hours after a complaint has been made.
According to the Commission, “the charter will promote and ensure investor-friendly industry and efficient market structure to meet the needs of Nigeria for safe, adequate, reliable and affordable electricity”.
Speaking at the unveiling of the charter in Abuja, the Minister of Power, Engr Abubakar Aliyu, said the charter provides vital information regarding the function and services rendered by NERC to the public.
The Minister, who was represented by the Director of Reform Coordination and Service Improvement Department at the Ministry, Mrs Titilayo Agbeyo, noted that effective implementation of the charter will improve service delivery as well as yield result-based performance by the commission.
His words: “I encourage the Commission to be customer-focused, citizen-centered in carrying out its responsibilities.
“It is important to point out that effective implementation of this charter will improve service delivery, educate on the rights and obligations of electricity consumers.
“It will also help to address complaints through the redress mechanism put in place to improve staff competence and skill, as well as produce result-based performance.”
In line with this, NERC recently revealed plans to launch what it called the “Meter Acquisition Fund” in order to tackle the metering challenges faced by electricity consumers and ensure an efficient billing system in Nigeria.
The Commissioner of Customers Affairs, Hajiya Aisha Mahmud, at the customer complaints resolution meeting in Jos, Plateau State recently emphasized that the Commission is working with the Federal Government to tackle metering problems, and that the framework for the program will be shared with Discos and the public, once completed.
She lamented that despite the introduction of electricity into the country over 120 years ago, metering-related issues still plague the nation’s power sector.
According to her, “metering is one of the biggest challenges we are facing, and over the last couple of years, the Commission, in conjunction with the federal government, has come up with different initiatives to ensure that customers are metered.”
The National Meter Programme, is a government initiative designed to meter one million customers and funded through the Central Bank of Nigeria, and has metered close to a million customers under phase zero. However, there has been a delay in securing funds for phase one, which is expected to meter four million customers.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Jos Disco, Engr. Abdul Bello Mohammed, applauded NERC for introducing new regulations in the industry. He stated that his company is fully committed to the regulations and has made customers a top priority, beginning with metering.
The Company says it has purchased 12,000 meters for immediate installation. Mohammed, however, expressed concern about the increasing rate of transformer vandalism and urged the public to cooperate in protecting these assets.
“We are engaging communities to make sure that they keep a vigil on these assets because if we allow them to continue to vandalize these transformers, both JED and its customers will suffer for it,” said the Jos Disco boss.
He also added that “we are also trying to inject discipline into our staff. Any staff caught doing something unusual will be disciplined and brought to book.”