68% of Nigerians Bypass Prepaid Meters, FG Reveals

Over 68 per cent of electricity consumers in Nigeria are illegally bypassing prepaid meters and consuming power without payment, the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) disclosed on Wednesday in Abuja.The alarming figure emerged at the fifth annual conference of the Power Correspondents Association of Nigeria (PCAN), where industry leaders demanded balanced tariffs to ensure sector survival without pricing out vulnerable citizens.NISO General Manager Ali Bukar warned that such widespread meter tampering is crippling the financial health of distribution companies (DisCos) and deepening the sector’s liquidity crisis.“This level of meter bypassing is undermining the financial stability of the sector,” Bukar said, urging tougher enforcement and smart technology to curb theft and system losses.Speaking through NISO’s Managing Director and CEO, Abdu Bello Mohammed, Mainstream Energy Limited MD Audu Lamu blamed Nigeria’s harsh economy marked by inflation, unemployment, and shrinking incomes for pushing consumers to evade bills.“Energy poverty is not just about a lack of connection but the inability to afford sufficient power for daily life and productive enterprise,” Lamu stated.He called for targeted subsidies for low-income households instead of blanket handouts, which he said only fuel inefficiency.“Properly designed lifeline tariffs and data-driven rebates can protect the vulnerable while allowing the market to function efficiently,” he proposed.Lamu stressed the need to cut technical, commercial, and collection losses across the power value chain to ease pressure on tariffs.PCAN Chairman Obas Esiedesa highlighted a N6 trillion debt owed by the federal government to generation companies, alongside gas shortages, weak transmission, and forex volatility as threats to sector viability.“More than a decade after privatisation, tariff balancing remains a formidable challenge,” Esiedesa said.He noted that millions still live in darkness or rely on costly generators, while operators insist on cost-reflective pricing to stay afloat.Energy experts at the event warned that without urgent reforms combining strict anti-theft measures, consumer safeguards, and efficient pricing Nigeria’s power market risks perpetual collapse

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