Electricity consumers across Nigeria failed to pay ₦70.25 billion for power supplied in May 2025, according to the latest commercial performance report released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
Despite a rise in electricity supply and billing, the 12 electricity distribution companies (DisCos) collected only ₦191.57 billion out of the ₦261.82 billion they billed during the month, translating to a collection efficiency of 73.17 per cent. This marks a 4.42 percentage point drop from April 2025.
The report also revealed that total energy received by the DisCos increased by 5.8 per cent to 2,774.49 gigawatt-hours, while the total energy billed rose by 3.25 per cent to 2,255.51 gigawatt-hours. Yet, billing efficiency dropped to 81.29 per cent, down from 83.30 per cent the previous month.
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More concerning was the sharp decline in revenue recovery. Although the allowed average tariff stood at ₦116.25 per kilowatt-hour, actual revenue collected averaged just ₦82.05/kWh, indicating a recovery efficiency of 70.58 per cent. This represents a 7.32 percentage point drop compared to April.
DisCos continue to recover far less than they are authorised to charge, raising concerns about financial sustainability in the sector.
Among the DisCos, Ikeja, Benin, and Eko showed the strongest performance. Ikeja recorded the highest billing efficiency at 89.04 per cent, while Eko led in recovery efficiency at 82.52 per cent, followed closely by Ikeja at 81.55 per cent.
In contrast, Jos and Yola DisCos remained the sector’s weakest links. Jos recorded the lowest collection efficiency at 35.55 per cent, while Yola had the lowest billing efficiency at 63.45 per cent.
