FG, World Bank roll out 3,500 free prepaid meters for Yobe residents
Story by Sa’adatu Maina, Damaturu
The federal government has collaborated with the World Bank to launch a major initiative that will provide free prepaid electricity meters in Yobe State.
The project, executed by the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC), aims to install 3,500 meters to promote fair billing and improve service delivery.
Announcing the rollout on Thursday, YEDC’s Yobe Regional Manager, Ibrahim Salisu, firmly assured residents that the meters and their installation come at absolutely no cost to the customer.
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“This programme is designed for transparency and performance enhancement. We want to assure the general public that these meters are completely free.
“There is no charge for the meter itself and no charge for installation. Under this scheme, nobody should request any payment, and no one should offer any payment,” said Salisu.
He drew a clear distinction between this initiative and the previous Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme, where customers were required to pay for their meters.
“The initial phase of the installation will prioritise customers in Band A. The deployment includes 2,500 single-phase and 1,000 three-phase smart meters, all certified by the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA). Work has already begun in the Three-Bedroom area along Maiduguri Road in Damaturu”.
While starting with Band A, Salisu confirmed that the programme will eventually be expanded to cover all customer bands across the region.
“We are very happy with this development,” said Kabiru Hassan, a resident of the area where installations have started.
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Another beneficiary, Malam Auwal Salisu Abubakar, praised the efforts of the Federal Government and the World Bank.
The YEDC is urging full public cooperation and has asked customers to report any solicitation for payments directly to the company.
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