Togo, Niger, Benin owe Nigeria N25bn for power supply – NERC

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has disclosed that Togo, Niger and Benin owe Nigeria a total of $17.8 million, equivalent to over N25 billion, for electricity supplied under bilateral cross-border arrangements.

According to NERC’s Third Quarter 2025 report, the three countries were invoiced $18.69 million by the Market Operator for electricity supplied during the quarter but paid only $7.125 million, leaving an outstanding balance of $11.56 million. In addition, legacy debts from previous quarters stood at $14.7 million, of which $7.84 million was paid, leaving a balance of $6.23 million.

The commission said the combined unpaid obligations from previous quarters and Q3 2025 amounted to $17.8 million, valued at about N25.36 billion at an exchange rate of N1,425 to the dollar.

NERC identified the international offtakers as Compagnie Énergie Électrique du Togo, Société Béninoise d’Énergie Électrique of Benin Republic, and Société Nigérienne d’Électricité of Niger Republic. The regulator noted that the three customers recorded a remittance performance of 38.09 per cent during the quarter, with more than half of their invoices remaining unpaid.

It explained that the electricity supplied to the three countries was generated by grid-connected Nigerian generation companies and delivered through bilateral cross-border power agreements.

In contrast, NERC said domestic bilateral customers showed stronger performance, remitting N3.19 billion out of the N3.64 billion invoiced to them in Q3 2025, representing a remittance rate of 87.61 per cent.

The commission added that some bilateral customers also settled outstanding invoices from previous quarters, with international customers paying $7.84 million and domestic customers remitting N1.3 billion.

Meanwhile, NERC disclosed that Nigeria’s 11 electricity distribution companies paid a combined N381.29 billion to the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc and the Market Operator in Q3 2025, out of a total invoice of N400.48 billion, translating to a remittance performance of 95.21 per cent.

The regulator said the figures were based on reconciled market settlements submitted to the commission as of December 18, 2025, in line with its statutory assessment of the electricity market’s commercial performance.