In a move aimed at reducing estimated billing and closing the country’s metering gap, the Federal Government has deployed 668,000 electricity meters under Phase One of the $500 million World Bank-financed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP).

The figure represents about 60 per cent of the 1,033,000 meters delivered under the programme, as the government intensifies efforts to ensure that registered electricity consumers are accurately metered.

The development was disclosed at the second 2026 meeting of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP), chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi, said the council received updates on the implementation of various initiatives designed to improve service delivery and strengthen the electricity sector.

He said the metering initiative remained a key component of ongoing efforts to address challenges in the power sector and improve transparency in electricity billing.

“On various issues, we provided updates on meter deployment under Phase 1 of the World Bank-financed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme. We have implemented 60 percent of the meters that have been delivered in the country out of 1,033,000. So far, we have deployed and installed 668,000 meters on customers’ premises,” Gbeleyi said.

He said the metering initiative, alongside programmes such as the Presidential Metering Initiative, was designed to address the metering deficit and eliminate estimated billing for electricity customers.

Gbeleyi also disclosed that about 17 states had established their own State Electricity Regulatory Commissions since April 2024 as part of the implementation of the Electricity Act.

He noted that Akwa Ibom State became the latest state to establish its own electricity regulatory commission in July.
According to him, some aspects of the implementation of the Electricity Act require further clarification and harmonisation among relevant stakeholders.

He said the NCP had directed the Attorney-General of the Federation, Minister of Power, Special Adviser to the President on Power, Special Adviser to the President on Oil and Gas, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), BPE and other stakeholders to engage on the necessary amendments to the law. “Some fine-tuning is required here and there in the implementation of that Act,” Gbeleyi said.

“Council has directed those stakeholders, led by the Attorney General of the Federation, the Honourable Minister of Power, the Special Adviser on Power, the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Oil and Gas, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, the BPE and all other critical stakeholders, should engage constructively so as to streamline and harmonize the Federal Government’s position in terms of the required amendments to fine-tune the Electricity Act.”

Also speaking, the Minister of Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, said the Federal Government was working collaboratively to ensure Nigerians derive greater value from electricity and other critical sectors of the economy.

“We are working concertedly and in a very collaborative manner to ensure that we give value, either in electricity or in telecoms—whichever area—to make sure that Nigerians benefit from this government,” Tegbe said.

The meeting was attended by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, who is the Vice Chairman of the council; the Minister of Power; the Solicitor-General, representing the Attorney-General of the Federation; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment; and private members of the council.

The NCP meeting formed part of ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to strengthen reforms in the power and other critical sectors of the economy.

DataPro Management, a licensed and regulated credit rating agency, has announced plans to host its 2026 International Rating Webinar in October.
The webinar, scheduled for October 8, 2026, at 2 p.m. West Africa Time, will focus on the theme, “Sovereign Credit Rating: Africa’s Roadmap to Investment Grade Status.”
The event will bring together experts and stakeholders in the credit rating and public finance sectors to examine Africa’s sovereign credit outlook and strategies for achieving investment-grade status.
Panelists for the webinar include Torsten Schmidt, Head of Macroeconomics and Public Finance Research, RWI; Daniel Cash, Founder, Credit Rating Research Initiative; Oluwakemi Babalogbon, Executive Director, Risk Management, Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI); Kai Gehring, Professor of Political Economy, University of Bern; and Misheck Mutize, Lead Expert on Credit Rating Agencies, African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
Oladele Adeyemi, Chief Rating Officer, DataPro, will moderate the session.
Stakeholders in the credit rating industry, financial sector and the media are expected to participate in the webinar, which is free to attend.
The organisers said the event would provide participants with an opportunity to gain insights into sovereign credit ratings and the steps African economies can take to attract investment and improve their credit standing.

Nestlé Nigeria has rewarded smallholder farmers with premium payments for adopting regenerative agricultural practices as stakeholders commemorated the 2026 International Day of Desertification and Drought in Zaria, Kaduna State.

The event, organised by TechnoServe Nigeria with support from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and Nestlé Nigeria, recognised farmers championing land restoration and climate resilience through the Strengthening Farmers and SMEs Resilience through Climate-Smart Grain Production (STreFaS) project.

Held under the theme, “Restoring Land. Rewarding Farmers. Building Resilience,” the programme brought together government officials, development partners, agricultural experts, agribusinesses and farmers to explore practical solutions to land degradation and promote sustainable food production.

As part of the event, farmers from Kaduna and Nasarawa states who successfully implemented regenerative agricultural practices during the 2025 farming season received financial incentives from Nestlé Nigeria.

According to the organisers, the premium payments are designed to encourage the adoption of sustainable farming methods that improve soil health, boost agricultural productivity and strengthen farmers’ resilience to the effects of climate change, including drought, erratic rainfall and declining soil fertility.

The three-year STreFaS project has supported thousands of smallholder farmers and agribusinesses in adopting climate-smart farming techniques such as minimum tillage, cover cropping, agroforestry, mulching, integrated pest management, soil testing and water conservation.

The organisers noted that the initiative is helping to restore degraded land while improving crop yields, enhancing food security and strengthening the livelihoods of farming communities.

Speaking at the event, the Country Director of TechnoServe Nigeria, Mrs Adesuwa Akinboro, represented by the Director of Programmes, Mr Shadrack Gusuu, said healthy soils remain the foundation of food security and sustainable agriculture.

He said, “The International Day of Desertification and Drought reminds us that healthy soils are essential for food security, resilient livelihoods, and sustainable agricultural development. Through the STreFaS project, we are equipping farmers with practical regenerative agriculture solutions that improve productivity while restoring the natural resources on which farming depends.”

Representing Nestlé Nigeria, Mr Alidu Amadu reaffirmed the company’s commitment to building sustainable food systems through regenerative agriculture.

According to him, “Farmers are at the heart of this transformation. Through the premium payment initiative, we are recognising and rewarding farmers who are taking deliberate steps to improve soil health, restore degraded land, and strengthen the resilience of their farms.”

Also speaking, Dr Esther Ibrahim of AGRA called for stronger collaboration to address land degradation through farmer-focused interventions.

She said climate-smart agriculture has proven to be an effective approach to improving farm productivity while restoring the environment, adding that sustained investment and collective action remain critical to achieving lasting results.

The event highlighted the growing importance of regenerative agriculture as a sustainable solution for combating desertification, improving climate resilience, and securing the future of smallholder farming in Nigeria.