Nigeria’s power regulator, NERC, reported that Benin, Togo, and Niger owe the country $19.97 million for electricity supplied in the first half of 2025, alongside widespread domestic payment defaults.
International electricity buyers from neighbouring countries—Benin, Togo, and Niger—owe Nigeria a combined debt of $19.97 million for power supplied in the first half of 2025, according to The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) reporting.
The Commission revealed that Société Béninoise d’Énergie Électrique (SBEE), Compagnie Energie Electrique du Togo (CEET), and Société Nigerienne d’Electricité (NIGELEC) collectively paid $14.81 million out of a total $34.78 million invoiced by market operators between January and June.
A breakdown showed that Paras-SBEE made no payment on its $5.19 million debt, while Paras-CEET only paid $0.63 million of a $3.94 million invoice. Mainstream-NIGELEC paid $5.72 million out of $6.75 million invoiced.
Domestically, Ajaokuta Steel Company Ltd and its host community failed to remit any part of their combined N2.9 billion electricity bill, prompting NERC to call for government intervention.
The report also noted that Nigerian consumers owed N368.26 billion, with DisCos collecting N1.11 trillion of the N1.48 trillion billed. NERC emphasized that improved metering and customer enumeration remain key to tackling energy theft and enhancing revenue recovery across the power sector.