The Association of Meter Manufacturers of Nigeria (AMMON) has dismissed suggestions that its legal action is obstructing the World Bank-backed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), insisting that the move is aimed at upholding due process rather than hindering the procurement of 1.55 million smart meters.
Reacting to media reports that described its court action as the “biggest threat” to the programme, AMMON called the characterisation “inaccurate, misleading and lacking proper context”.
The association stressed that it remains fully committed to DISREP’s objectives and supports genuine efforts to accelerate electricity metering, improve distribution and strengthen Nigeria’s power sector.
In a statement, AMMON explained that its members have invested billions of naira in local manufacturing facilities, technology transfer and human capital development, consistent with the Federal Government’s local content and industrialisation policies.
The legal proceedings, it said, were instituted not to block smart meter deployment but to seek judicial clarification and ensure compliance with Nigerian laws, transparency and fairness – particularly regarding local content requirements.
A key reason for seeking an injunction was to create space for ongoing advocacy with the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the Federal Ministry of Power on the inclusion of indigenous manufacturers.
AMMON disclosed that both BPE and TCN had acknowledged its concerns and convened a stakeholders’ meeting to explore how local participation could be structured. This assurance was communicated weeks before the scheduled bid opening and reaffirmed three days before the exercise.
The association also revealed constructive engagements with the Honourable Minister of Power and the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.
During these meetings, practical options were presented to resolve procurement issues while restoring public confidence in the metering programme.
The Minister of Finance listened carefully, and discussions focused on balancing DISREP objectives with local content aspirations.
AMMON argued that allowing bids to be opened under the existing framework would have left no practical opportunity to incorporate local manufacturing capacity, effectively ceding a significant market to foreign suppliers.
“It was therefore prudent for AMMON to create an opening that would allow feedback from the stakeholders’ meeting,” the association said.
Local manufacturers have also proposed innovative financing arrangements under which metering projects could be funded through verifiable milestone-based payments, reducing the need for external borrowing.
The association noted that Nigeria should not need to borrow to fund electricity metering when substantial indigenous capacity already exists; instead, borrowing should be directed towards capital equipment and infrastructure that expand productive capacity.
AMMON maintained that resorting to the courts to resolve legitimate disputes should not be seen as an attack on national development. “The rule of law is a fundamental pillar of democratic governance,” it stated, urging media organisations to avoid assigning blame without presenting the full legal and policy context.
The association reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement with the Federal Government, the World Bank, NERC and other stakeholders to ensure a lawful, transparent and sustainable metering programme aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s “Nigeria First” policy.
It expressed confidence that an amicable resolution would accelerate meter deployment, protect Nigerian investments, preserve jobs and deliver lasting value to consumers and the economy.
