The Nigerian federal government has taken steps to protect electricity consumers from exploitative billing practices by distribution companies, due in part to efforts by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a MacArthur grantee. The government’s National Electricity Regulatory Commission is requiring electricity distribution companies to provide free pre-paid meters to Nigerians to end the use of estimated billing practices, and are directing Nigerians to refrain from paying electricity bills that are not based on metered electricity use. The directives follow a lawsuit filed by SERAP against the government over its failure to provide meters to Nigerians, which would help end the use of arbitrary and discriminatory estimated billing practices.
