Aba Power, Nigeria’s newest electricity distribution company (DisCo), provided more smart meters than all the other 11 Discos in the country combined in 2025, according to an electricity pressure group.
In a statement released yesterday after its first executive committee meeting this year in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, the Southeastern zone of the Electricity Consumers of Nigeria (ECAN) revealed that all 12 DisCos in Nigeria provided 175,302 meters under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme and 44,104 prepaid meters under the vendor-financed framework as of the third quarter of 2025, quoting a recent report in the Punch newspaper based on data provided by the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
“Aba Power alone gave end-users 122,464 smart meters by the end of last year”, declared the statement signed by its chairman, Engineer Joe Ubani, and secretary, Comrade Chris Okpara, citing figures sent monthly to NERC by the head of the metering team at Aba Power, Engineer Alfred Atega.
This consists of 116,883 single-phase meters and 5,581 three-phase meters.
“This means that Aba Power exceeded its 2025 target of 100,000 smart meters, which many analysts thought was a rather ambitious goal.
“More importantly, the data shows that Aba Power accomplished this feat despite being Nigeria’s youngest DisCo and the smallest in terms of population and geographical spread as it covers only nine of the 17 local government areas (LGAs) of Abia State,” the statement further observed.
This correspondent recalls that Aba Power undertook its 2025 prepaid metering rollout through vendor-finance arrangements with four Chinese and Nigerian metering firms.
Quoting the Aba Power senior brand and communication manager, Edise Ekong, ECAN explained that all the new meters were distributed from 27 feeders in and around Aba, Abia State’s economic nerve-centre.
Meanwhile, it is understood that work is progressing on three additional feeders, namely, the Omoba Feeder, the Geometric Feeder, and the Polymer Feeder which currently have system issues.
“Customers on these feeders will be metered once repair and rehabilitation work on them is concluded,” Edise Ekong further assures.
Aba Power’s achievements in meter rollout and reliable power supply have attracted commendations from other stakeholder groups in the commercial city.
Chief Alphonsus Udeigbo, President General of the Abia Amalgamated Traders Association, has attributed investors’ renewed interest in the state to Aba’s new status as Nigeria’s city with the most reliable power supply system.
He said in a statement: “Investors like those promoting the Marriott Hotel in GRA Aba and the Enyimba Economic City would not have been responding so favourably to Governor Alex Otti’s campaign for investment flow into the state if the electricity problem had not been resolved significantly.”
Engr Leo Emesirim, President General of the Aba Landlords Protection and Development Association, told journalists recently that “Aba is set to take its rightful position as Nigeria’s centre of indigenous manufacturing due to constant and quality power supply.
“The Abia State government recognizes the primacy of electricity, and so has been working hand in hand with Aba Power and the Abia people to take the state to a different level,” he added.
