FCCPC Seeks Stronger Consumer Safeguards over Lagos Electricity Supply Challenges

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has called for stronger consumer safeguards over electricity supply challenges in Lagos.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the FCCPC Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu.

The development follows the position of the Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission (LASERC) in the 2025 Lagos Electricity Market Report, which supports the enforcement of existing legal provisions relating to electricity supply without meters, alongside the phased rollout of universal smart metering across Lagos State.

What the FCCPC is saying

The FCCPC noted findings in the LASERC report relating to service delivery gaps, complaint resolution performance, and electricity supply challenges affecting Lagos State.

• According to the Commission, “These findings reinforce the need for stronger consumer safeguards, sustained infrastructure investment, and continued improvements in service delivery.” 

The Commission also commended LASERC for its recent consumer-focused reforms aimed at stopping estimated billing within the Lagos electricity market.

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, said estimated billing remains one of the leading sources of consumer complaints within Nigeria’s power sector.

• “Measures that accelerate metering and improve billing transparency are important to consumer protection and overall market accountability,” he added.

Mr. Bello advised that 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,” he stated.

However, Bello urged other state electricity regulators and subnational governments to adopt similar consumer-focused reforms to accelerate metering, improve service oversight, and reduce disputes associated with estimated billing.

• “Lagos has taken an important step towards improving consumer protection and accountability within the electricity sector. Other states implementing electricity market reforms should also prioritise transparent metering frameworks, effective complaint resolution systems, and clear service standards that strengthen consumer confidence and support better service delivery across the sector,” he stated.

He urged electricity distribution companies and other market participants to cooperate fully with metering initiatives, consumer protection obligations, and service quality improvement measures introduced by relevant regulatory authorities.

More insights

The FCCPC assured that it remains committed to supporting initiatives that promote fair market practices, transparency, accountability, and improved service standards across Nigeria’s electricity sector through continued engagement with regulators and other relevant stakeholders.

According to the Commission, LASERC is pursuing a broad reform programme aimed 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 actions against non-compliant operators.

What you should know 

The Lagos State Government recently approved 14 electricity licences and permits across off-grid generation, embedded generation, independent distribution, metering services, and interconnected mini-grid operations.

The approvals were issued by LASERC during its maiden stakeholder engagement held at The Cordis Hotel.

The move marks one of the major regulatory steps under Lagos State’s evolving intrastate electricity market framework, designed to expand private sector participation and improve electricity access across industrial and residential clusters.