Ikeja Electric has called for patience after installing about 105,000 prepaid meters for customers under its network through the Federal Government’s National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP).

Felix Ofulue, head of corporate communications, said Sunday in Ikeja that the figure indicated that the company provided meters for over 99 per cent of its 106,701 customers scheduled for metering under phase zero of the NMMP.

“We have so far metered 105,000 customers under the NMMP, and we are appealing to others yet to get their meters to be patient. The process of installing prepaid meters is ongoing and has not been discontinued as being insinuated by some persons.

“We are anticipating that the Phase One of the NMMP will begin soon which will give us the opportunity to meter more customers.

“Our vision at Ikeja Electric is for all customers to be metered as quickly as possible and those yet to be metered will definitely be metered,” Mr Ofulue said.

Mr Ofulue, however, advised customers to desist from energy theft through bypassing their prepaid meters and warned that anyone caught would be dealt with.

He also appealed to customers to help the DisCo protect its electrical installations from vandals and energy thieves through its recently inaugurated whistleblower programme.

The federal government had on October 30, 2020, flagged off phase zero of the NMMP targeted at metering one million electricity customers nationwide.

The programme aims to meet the target of closing the metering gap in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry by December 2021.

It would assist in reducing collection losses while at the same time increasing financial flows to achieve 100 per cent market remittance obligation of the DisCos.

Part of the objectives includes the elimination of estimated billing, improved network monitoring capability and provide data for market administration and investment decision-making.