By Jane Okafor, Abuja
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Tunji Bello, has disclosed how the commission intervened to stop a planned replacement of obsolete prepaid electricity meters that could have compelled Nigerians to bear the cost of replacing faulty infrastructure.
Bello said the FCCPC’s intervention ensured that electricity consumers would not be forced to pay for obsolete prepaid meters or be subjected to estimated billing while the replacement exercise was underway.
He made the disclosure on Thursday during a stakeholder engagement on consumer protection and regulatory cooperation in Nigeria’s electricity sector held in Abuja.
According to Bello, the commission acted after widespread public concerns over the proposed replacement of obsolete Unistar prepaid meters used by customers of one of the country’s electricity distribution companies.
He explained that the intervention, carried out in collaboration with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), shielded consumers from additional financial burdens, estimated billing and possible disruption of electricity supply during the replacement exercise.
Bello noted that although replacing obsolete meters is ordinarily a routine technical exercise, many consumers feared they would be compelled to pay for new meters despite not being responsible for the equipment becoming outdated.
He added that consumers were equally concerned that delays in the replacement programme could expose them to estimated billing or interruptions in electricity supply.
“Those concerns were understandable. At their core were issues of fairness, affordability, continuity of supply and public confidence in the institutions responsible for consumer protection,” Bello said.
The FCCPC boss disclosed that the commission promptly convened a meeting involving NERC, NEMSA and all electricity distribution companies to ensure the replacement exercise complied with existing consumer protection regulations and did not unfairly disadvantage electricity users.
According to him, the engagement resulted in clear commitments that consumers would not bear the cost of replacing obsolete meters, would not be placed on estimated billing because of the replacement process, and would continue to enjoy uninterrupted electricity supply throughout the exercise.
Bello stressed that the outcome underscored the importance of inter-agency collaboration in protecting consumers’ rights and promoting accountability within the electricity sector.
He maintained that regulatory institutions must work together to ensure that Nigerians receive the same level of consumer protection regardless of where they live or which electricity distribution company serves them.
The FCCPC chief said effective regulatory cooperation remains critical to building consumer confidence, improving service delivery and ensuring that the interests of electricity users are safeguarded at all times.
