July 7, 2025 | Abuja
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has revealed that the Republics of Benin and Togo owe Nigeria a combined sum of $11.97 million in unpaid electricity bills for the first quarter of 2025.
This disclosure was contained in NERC’s latest quarterly report, which assessed market performance and revenue collection within the electricity supply industry between January and March 2025.
According to the report, Nigeria’s electricity is supplied to both West African countries through special bilateral agreements facilitated by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET). However, the report indicates a growing debt burden as international customers failed to meet their payment obligations during the period under review.
The total invoice issued to these cross-border power recipients stood at $11.97 million, with no payment remitted as of the end of March 2025.
“The international customers did not make any payment against the $11.97 million invoice issued for services rendered by market operators,” NERC stated.
This persistent default raises concerns over the sustainability of Nigeria’s power export programme, especially at a time when the country continues to grapple with domestic electricity supply challenges, mounting sectoral debts, and infrastructure constraints.
Stakeholders have called on the Federal Government to review existing agreements and take diplomatic steps to ensure the recovery of the outstanding payments while balancing regional cooperation with national energy priorities.
