By Abubakar Yunusa
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has commended the Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission (LASERC) for reforms aimed at ending estimated billing within the Lagos electricity market.
Ondaje Ijagwu, director of corporate affairs at FCCPC,in a statement yesterday, welcomed LASERC’s position in the 2025 Lagos electricity market report, supporting the enforcement of existing legal provisions on electricity supply without meters, alongside the phased rollout of universal smart metering across Lagos.
According to the statement, LASERC is implementing a broad reform programme targeted at strengthening consumer protection and improving electricity market performance in Lagos.
“The measures include the phased enforcement of compulsory metering from 2026, feeder by feeder deployment of universal smart meters, tighter oversight of distribution companies, improved complaint resolution standards and enforcement action against non-compliant operators,” Ijagwu said.
Tunji Bello, executive vice-chairman (EVC) of the FCCPC, described the reforms as a major step toward improving billing transparency and reinforcing consumer confidence in the power sector.
“Estimated billing remains one of the leading sources of consumer complaints within Nigeria’s power sector,” he said.
“Measures that accelerate metering and improve billing transparency are important to consumer protection and overall market accountability.”
Bello said consumers should be protected from unfair or unverifiable billing practices, particularly in situations where electricity consumption cannot be accurately measured.
“Effective metering promotes fairness within the electricity market. It supports accurate billing, reduces disputes, improves accountability, and gives consumers greater confidence in the system,” the EVC said.
The FCCPC boss urged other state electricity regulators and subnational governments to adopt similar reforms to accelerate metering, improve service oversight, and reduce disputes associated with estimated billing.
He also called on electricity distribution companies and other market participants to cooperate fully with metering initiatives, consumer protection obligations, and service quality improvement measures introduced by regulators.
The commission also noted findings in the LASERC report relating to service delivery gaps, complaint resolution performance, and electricity supply challenges affecting Lagos.
According to the FCCPC, the findings underscore the need for stronger consumer safeguards, sustained infrastructure investment, and continued improvements in electricity service delivery.
