Benin, Togo and Niger accumulated an outstanding electricity bill of $11.16 million owed to Nigeria at the end of 2025, according to figures from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
The amount was contained in NERC’s 2025 annual report, which reviewed the payment performance of Nigeria’s international bilateral electricity customers during the year.
The three customers identified in the report are Société Béninoise d’Énergie Électrique (SBEE) of Benin, Compagnie Énergie Électrique du Togo (CEET) and Société Nigérienne d’Électricité (NIGELEC).
According to the report, the three international customers were billed a combined $73.91 million for electricity supplied during the year.
They subsequently paid $62.75 million, representing an 84.90 per cent remittance rate, leaving $11.16 million unpaid.
The figures indicate that while most of the electricity bills were settled, a significant portion of the obligations remained outstanding at the close of the year.
By comparison, domestic bilateral electricity customers recorded a higher payment performance during the same period. NERC said they paid N12.75 billion out of N13.20 billion invoiced, representing a 96.60 per cent remittance rate.
The regulator’s figures highlight the difference in payment performance between international and domestic bilateral customers within Nigeria’s electricity market.
NERC noted that the 2025 payment performance by international customers represented an improvement compared with the previous year.
In the first quarter of 2024, international customers had reportedly made no payments against a $14.19 million electricity bill issued by the Market Operator.
Despite the improved collections recorded in 2025, the outstanding $11.16 million underscores the continuing revenue and collection challenges within the electricity sector.
The development comes as Nigeria continues to implement reforms aimed at improving the financial sustainability and efficiency of its electricity market.
