By Peace Erewunmi

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Mr. Tunji Bello, has revealed how the commission intervened to stop electricity consumers from bearing the cost of replacing obsolete prepaid meters. He insisted that Nigerians should not pay for infrastructure failures that were not caused by them.

Bello made the disclosure during a stakeholder engagement on consumer protection and regulatory cooperation in Nigeria’s electricity sector held in Abuja. According to him, the FCCPC stepped in after widespread concerns emerged over plans to replace obsolete Unistar prepaid meters used by customers of some electricity distribution companies (DisCos).

The FCCPC, in collaboration with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), convened meetings with electricity distribution companies to ensure that consumers would not be forced to purchase replacement meters, subjected to estimated billing, or experience interruptions in electricity supply during the exercise.

Bello explained that many consumers feared they would have to pay for new meters despite not being responsible for the equipment becoming obsolete. He noted that regulatory agencies acted quickly to protect consumers and enforce existing rules guiding the replacement of faulty or outdated meters.

According to him, NERC’s regulations guarantee that the replacement of obsolete meters must be carried out at no cost to consumers, without disruptions to electricity supply and without exposing customers to estimated billing because of delays in implementation.

Bello stressed that effective consumer protection depends on cooperation among regulatory agencies rather than institutional rivalry. He urged electricity distribution companies to comply fully with regulatory directives, resolve customer complaints promptly and operate transparently to strengthen confidence in the power sector.

He also called for a harmonised consumer protection framework across Nigeria as more states establish independent electricity regulatory commissions under the Electricity Act 2023, noting that every Nigerian should enjoy the same level of protection regardless of location.