Nigeria Records $11.16m Outstanding Electricity Debt from Togo, Benin, Niger

Nigeria recorded $11.16 million in outstanding electricity payments from Togo, Benin and Niger in 2025, despite the three countries being billed a combined $73.91 million for power-related services, according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

The three international electricity customers paid $62.75 million during the year, representing an 84.90% remittance rate, leaving $11.16 million unpaid.

The figures were disclosed in NERC’s 2025 Annual Report as the regulator highlighted payment performance across Nigeria’s electricity market.

The international customers identified in the report are the Compagnie Énergie Électrique du Togo (CEET), Société Béninoise d’Énergie Électrique (SBEE), and Société Nigérienne d’Électricité (NIGELEC).

NERC reported stronger payment performance among domestic bilateral electricity customers in 2025.

The Market Operator invoiced domestic bilateral customers ₦13.20 trillion for services rendered during the year, while ₦12.75 trillion was remitted.

This translates to a 96.60% remittance performance, although about ₦450 billion remained outstanding.

However, Ajaokuta Steel Co. Ltd and its host community recorded no payment against their electricity obligations during the period.

According to NERC, NBET issued Ajaokuta a ₦4.96 billion invoice, while the Market Operator issued another invoice of ₦500 million.

The regulator said the continued non-payment had been escalated to relevant federal ministries, warning that the Ajaokuta complex could face disconnection from NBET and the Market Operator because of its outstanding obligations.

Beyond payment performance, NERC said Nigeria’s distribution companies took off 31,251.77 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity in 2025.

However, only 25,867.86 GWh was billed to customers, resulting in an energy accounting efficiency (EAE) of 82.77%.

EAE measures the proportion of electricity supplied to a distribution area that is accounted for through customer billing.

Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company recorded the highest energy accounting efficiency at 88.84%, while Enugu DisCo posted the lowest at 72.18%.

NERC said DisCos must improve their energy accounting performance by reducing technical losses, expanding customer enumeration, improving metering and deploying technologies to tackle electricity theft.

The outstanding international electricity debt comes as Nigeria continues efforts to improve liquidity and financial sustainability across its power sector.

While the 96.60% remittance rate recorded by domestic bilateral customers indicates relatively stronger payment performance, the unpaid international and special-customer obligations highlight continuing collection challenges across the electricity value chain.

NERC said improving energy accounting, metering, infrastructure and revenue collection will remain critical to strengthening the financial position of the electricity market.