AMMON denies delaying meter rollout, seeks local content inclusion
The Association of Meter Manufacturers of Nigeria (AMMON) denied reports linking it to delays in the World Bank-supported Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP), saying its court action seeks due process and guarantees local manufacturer inclusion in the procurement of 1.55 million smart meters. AMMON said it has held talks with the Bureau of Public Enterprises, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, and the Ministers of Power and Finance, who acknowledged its concerns and agreed to discuss how local capacity can be integrated. The association argued that launching a second International Competitive Bidding under the current framework would sideline existing Nigerian manufacturers, wasting billions invested in local factories, technology transfer and skills. Instead, AMMON proposes milestone-based financing that lets local firms supply meters while foreign financing is redirected to transmission and other grid assets, aligning the programme with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Nigeria First and industrialisation agenda. It stressed that seeking judicial clarification is a lawful way to resolve strategic differences and does not oppose national development. For readers, the dispute could affect the timing of meter rollout, the share of contracts going to Nigerian firms, and the reliance on external borrowing for metering.