FCCPC backs Lagos crackdown on unmetered electricity supply

• Tunji Bello: consumers must be protected from unfair billing practices where electricity consumption cannot be accurately measured

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) yesterday expressed support for the Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (LASERC) push to tighten rules on estimated electricity billing.

According to the FCCPC, the proposed reforms are essential for rebuilding consumer confidence and enhancing accountability in the power sector.

The commission praised LASERC’s stance in the 2025 Lagos Electricity Market Report, which calls for the enforcement of existing legal provisions that prohibit electricity supply without meters and for the phased introduction of universal smart meters throughout the state.

LASERC is implementing a comprehensive reform programme aimed at bolstering consumer protection and improving the performance of Lagos’s electricity market.

The plan calls for compulsory metering to be enforced gradually from 2026, a feeder‑by‑feeder rollout of universal smart meters, stricter supervision of distribution companies, higher standards for complaint resolution, and enforcement actions against operators that fail to comply.

Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, described the initiative as a major step toward greater transparency in electricity billing and stronger consumer safeguards.

Bello noted that estimated billing is one of the leading sources of consumer dissatisfaction in Nigeria’s power sector and argued that accelerated metering would curb exploitation and improve market accountability.

He emphasized that consumers must be shielded from unfair billing practices, especially when electricity consumption cannot be measured accurately.

In a statement issued by FCCPC Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, Bello said effective metering would promote fairness, reduce billing disputes, enhance operator accountability, and increase public trust in the electricity market.

The FCCPC chief also urged other state electricity regulators and sub‑national governments undertaking market reforms to follow Lagos’s example by prioritising transparent metering systems, stronger service standards, and robust consumer complaint‑resolution frameworks.

The commission called on electricity distribution companies and other market participants to cooperate with metering initiatives and fully comply with consumer‑protection obligations set by regulatory authorities.

It highlighted that the LASERC report identified ongoing service‑delivery gaps, weak complaint‑resolution performance, and electricity‑supply challenges in the state, underscoring the need for stronger consumer safeguards and sustained infrastructure investment.

FCCPC reaffirmed its commitment to supporting reforms that promote transparency, accountability, fair market practices, and improved service delivery across Nigeria’s electricity sector.