Four months after Nigeria received 600,000 smart meters, installers fitted only 200,000 so far.
Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu said a shortage of trained technicians—not meters—causes the delay.
Meters Installation Exposes Skills Gap
“Where are the installers? We don’t even have installers,” he emphasised at the PwC forum in Lagos.
Millions of unemployed youth face urgent technical jobs, but few have the skills to take them.
Shortage Threatens Nationwide Rollout
NERC reported installers fitted 225,631 meters in the second quarter of 2025, a 20.55% increase from the first quarter.
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Most installers worked under the Meter Asset Providers framework, while others used MAF and Vendor Financed schemes.
Despite this, only 54.33% of active electricity customers now have meters, leaving millions on estimated bills.
The shortage threatens the government’s 700 billion naira plan to deploy ten million meters over the next five years.
Government Acts To Bridge Gap
“Jobs to be done, but no skills,” Adelabu said, highlighting Nigeria’s workforce mismatch problem.
The government partners with NAPTIN and NEMSA to train and certify meter installers quickly.
Adelabu also warned underperforming Discos, whose failure to invest since 2013 leaves them with negative capital.
The government will link licence renewals to minimum capital requirements, forcing companies to invest in networks.
The meter rollout shows that Nigeria’s untapped human potential can transform electricity access and create skilled jobs.
Bridging the gap between unemployed youth and technical jobs now drives the country’s energy future.
