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Consumers Pay ₦801bn Despite Power Outages – NERC
Nigerian electricity distribution companies (DisCos) collected ₦801.16bn from consumers between January and April 2026, despite widespread blackouts and supply shortages, according to data from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
The regulator’s factsheets showed that the 11 DisCos billed customers ₦1.01tn during the period but recovered ₦801bn, leaving ₦207.77bn uncollected.
In January, DisCos billed ₦268.2bn and collected ₦204.7bn, while February billings fell to ₦242.3bn with collections of ₦196.7bn.
March recorded ₦246.4bn billed and ₦196.1bn collected, while April saw ₦252.4bn billed and ₦203.6bn collected.
The collections came amid months of unstable supply caused by gas shortages that crippled generation, forcing load shedding.
At one point in February, national generation fell below 2,000MW, less than half of the estimated requirement.
NERC noted continued metering gaps and commercial losses, with significant volumes of electricity supplied but not billed.
Among the utilities, Eko DisCo posted the strongest recovery efficiency at 102% in April, while Kaduna, Kano, and Jos DisCos lagged, with recovery rates below 55%.
Consumers endured prolonged outages, prompting complaints about high tariffs, estimated billing, and poor service delivery.
Stakeholders have called for improved metering, reduced energy theft, and stronger infrastructure investment.
The Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission (LASERC) reminded consumers that DisCos cannot recover charges older than 12 months, except in cases of meter tampering, illegal use, or obstruction of meter reading.
Despite gradual recovery in supply towards the end of April, concerns remain over the sector’s financial sustainability and the need for reforms to improve efficiency and service delivery.
