… ends months-long delay as fresh momentum builds for nearly 3m DISREP prepaid meter rollout
Oredola Adeola
The court injunction filed by the Association of Meter Manufacturers of Nigeria (AMMON), which halted the Federal Government’s International Competitive Bidding 2 (ICB2) procurement of about 1.55 million smart meters under the World Bank-backed $500 million Nigeria Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), has reportedly been withdrawn, clearing the way for the project’s continuation.
The development was disclosed in a statement by Mr. Labzy Adelabu, spokesman to the Minister of Power, and obtained by Advisors Reports on Monday, confirming the resumed progress on the second phase of the metering initiative.
Advisors Reports checks indicate that the World Bank had flagged the litigation as the programme’s biggest implementation risk, warning it could trigger cancellation if unresolved.
The World Bank’s recent Implementation Status and Results Report noted that the injunction had stalled the opening of bids under the second phase of the International Competitive Bidding process for additional smart meters.
Speaking on the latest development, the Minister’s spokesperson stated that AMMON filed a Notice of Discontinuance at the Federal High Court in Kano following the intervention by Joseph Tegbe, after a high-level resolution meeting was held between AMMON, the Minister, and other government agencies.
Labzy noted that the Minister of Power, working with other government agencies including the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), proffered a mutually agreeable solution that addressed local manufacturers’ concerns within the limits of local and international competitive procurement rules.
He furter noted that the withdrawal of the suit ended a dispute that had blocked the procurement of 1.55 million smart meters, clearing the way for various government metering intervention programmes, such as the Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), Meter Acquisition Fund (MAF 3), and the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI), to move forward at full pace.
He stated that the engagement produced the commitment that persuaded AMMON to withdraw its suit, allowing the programme’s stalled procurement to resume.
He said, “This brings to an end a standoff that culminated in an injunction AMMON secured in April 2026, halting bidding on the various metering procurement programmes.
“By resolving the dispute through dialogue rather than confrontation, the Minister has kept faith with the ‘Nigeria First’ push for local industrial participation while safeguarding the financing Nigeria needs to close its electricity metering gap.”
Labzy further emphasised that the outcome of the meeting and the subsequent withdrawal of the suit reflected the pragmatic, result-oriented style Tegbe has brought to the power sector, in line with the bold vision of Bola Tinubu, whose Renewed Hope Agenda places industrial self-reliance and the rapid delivery of power sector reforms at the centre of its economic programme.
The Minister’s spokesperson explained that the Federal Government’s attempts to close the country’s metering gap remain central to improving revenue collection for distribution companies and ending the estimated billing that has long frustrated electricity consumers.
The resolution, he stated, is one of the sector interventions that reflects the Federal Ministry of Power’s broader push to deliver reliable and affordable power through closer collaboration between government and stakeholders across the Nigerian power sector.
Advisors Reports further gathered that the World Bank-approved Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), sanctioned in February 2021, led to the successful execution of ICB1 with about 1.44 million smart meters procured, of which 1.23 million had been manufactured, 1.03 million delivered to Nigeria, and about 482,000 installed by June 2026.
The ICB2, covering an additional 1.55 million meters and advertised in January 2026 for closure by April 30, was designed to strengthen DisCos’ financial and technical performance but had its bid opening stalled by an April 2026 court injunction following legal action by AMMON, which argued that the international procurement framework excluded local manufacturers and undermined domestic industry development.
