Fresh metering confusion emerges as Discos hand off provision, say MAPs in charge
The Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), the umbrella body of the Discos has given an indication that members of the body are no more responsible for the provision of prepaid meters to electricity consumers.
Executive Director, ANED, Sunday Oduntan, stressed that it was no more the responsibility of Discos to provide meters for customers with the arrival of Meter Asset Providers (MAPs) licensed by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
Though he was silent on the explanation given by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola that even upon the licensing of MAPs, Discos will continue to abide by the provisions of the concession agreement signed with government at the point of taking over the unbundled PHCN. A key provision of the terms and conditions of the concession understanding between BPE and Discos is the continued provision of prepaid meters to Nigerian electricity consumers.
But Oduntan argued that the incoming of MAPs will take off the challenges of metering customers so as to concentrate addressing other challenges in the power supply business.
ANED official averred that “Metering has been taken off the Discos’ primary responsibility and that is why the Federal Government through NERC came up with MAPs. In summary, the Meter Asset Providers are essentially now in charge of metering, not the Discos.
“We are participants; we have a role to play and we are playing this role by cooperating with them. But we are not the ones to provide meters to Nigerians, going forward. People need to understand that and we support anything that will make it possible for Nigerians to have meters,” ANED Executive Secretary noted.
However, recall that Fashola had in August last year made it clear on the creation of MAPs that power distribution companies still had the responsibility of providing meters to customers, warning that the Meter Asset Provider Regulation never in any way or the order, completely remove the responsibility of providing meters by the Discos.
There are however, strong indications that the Minister will soon address the twist created by the new and strange position of ANED members.
