Kano court halts smart meter procurement

A Federal High Court in Kano has halted the Federal Government’s ongoing smart meter procurement process, ordering all parties to maintain the status quo pending the hearing of a substantive motion.

Justice M. N. Yunusa issued the directive on Wednesday following an ex parte application by the Trustee of the Association of Meter Manufacturers of Nigeria (AMMON), which filed the suit on behalf of its members.

The suit, marked FHC/KN/CS/214/2026, names the Transmission Company of Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, the Federal Ministry of Power, and the Bureau of Public Enterprises as respondents.

AMMON — whose members include Mojec International Nigeria Limited and other key meter manufacturers — is challenging the bid process for the supply and installation of smart meters to eleven electricity distribution companies nationwide.

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The procurement exercise was advertised in January 2026 and had been scheduled to close on Wednesday, the same day the court intervened. AMMON had sought an interim injunction restraining the respondents from taking further steps toward concluding the process, citing concerns over due process and the marginalisation of indigenous manufacturers.

Justice Yunusa ordered that all processes relating to the motion on notice be served on the respondents and adjourned the matter to May 26, 2026, for a compliance report.

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The dispute centres on a broader Federal Government initiative to close Nigeria’s metering gap and eliminate estimated billing — a chronic grievance among electricity consumers. Previous interventions, including the National Mass Metering Programme, have drawn similar objections from local manufacturers, who have long argued that large-scale metering contracts are routinely awarded without adequate protection for domestic industry.