A total of 22 companies interested in investing in the meter procurement process approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) Regulations 2018 have scaled the first hurdle in the selection process.
MAP Regulations is intended to facilitate closure of the wide metering gap in the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) within three years.
A statement by the electricity sector regulator sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday said applications submitted by the companies received the ‘No Objection’ certification from the Commission.
The statement signed the commission’s spokesperson, Usman Arabi, said the ‘No Objection’ certification qualifies intending investors to participate in the meter procurement process in the NESI.
Companies granted ‘No Objection’ certification include Huawei Technology Company Nigeria Limited; Bilview Energy Limited; Chintech Electro Nigeria Limited; Holley Metering Limited; Meron Nigeria Limited; Integrated Power Limited; MBH Power Limited; Trimani Engineering Limited; Sapropel Energy Resources Limited and Megawatt Distribution International Limited
Others included Unistar Hi-Tech Systems Limited; MOMAS Electricity Meters Manufacturing Company Limited; Imperial Infrastructure Development Company Limited; Ratio Consulting Limited; Protogy Global Services Limited;
Paktim Metering Nigeria Limited; Sabrud Consortium Nigeria Limited; Tinuten Nigeria Limited; Kayz Consortium Limited; BTS Power Limited; CIG Metering Assets Nigeria Limited and Cresthill Energy Limited.
The MAP Regulation mandates electricity distribution companies (DISCOS) to engage meter assets providers who fund purchase, installation and replacement of meters to meet Discos metering obligations to their customers.
Mr Arabi said the meter acquisition plan was part of efforts by the Commission to ensure all electricity customers were metered thereby reducing incidences of estimated electricity billing to the barest minimum.
He said the Commission has conducted due diligence on the supporting documents to the applications submitted by interested investors before granting the successful applicants the ‘No Objection’ clearance to participate in the procurement process.
In line with section 8 subsection 4 of the MAP Regulations, 2018, Mr Arabi said the publication of these applicants does not foreclose other interested applicants from getting the ‘No Objection’ as it is a continuous exercise.
