Abuja: Electricity customers in Togo, Benin, and the Niger Republic owe Nigeria approximately N17.45 billion for power supplied in the first quarter of 2026, after remitting only 27.57 percent of the $17.48 million billed to them during this period. The latest report from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) highlights this issue, as findings by The Punch reveal.
According to Ghana Web, the NERC report shows that the three international bilateral customers collectively paid $4.82 million out of the $17.48 million invoiced by the Market Operator, leaving an outstanding debt of $12.66 million, which is equivalent to about N17.45 billion at an exchange rate of N1,378 to the dollar. This situation persists despite Nigeria's continued electricity exports to neighboring West African countries under bilateral power supply agreements with generation companies operating in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
The recurring debts contribute to the liquidity crisis in Nigeria's power sector. The commission notes that the international customers displayed significantly weaker payment performance compared to domestic bilateral customers, who remitted 95 percent of their invoices during the same period.
The NERC quarterly report details that the three international bilateral customers supplied by GenCos in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry remitted $4.82 million against the cumulative invoice of $17.48 million issued by the Market Operator for services rendered in the first quarter of 2026, translating to a remittance performance of 27.57 percent. A breakdown of the payments reveals that Paras-SBEE, supplying electricity to the Benin Republic, did not make any payment against its $1.94 million invoice, resulting in a zero percent remittance performance.
Similarly, Paras-CEET, which supplies electricity to Togo, also failed to make any payments despite receiving an invoice of $1.67 million for electricity supplied during the quarter. Transcorp-SBEE (Ughelli), another supplier to the Benin Republic, remitted only $0.90 million out of its $4.20 million invoice, representing a payment performance of 21.43 percent. Meanwhile, Transcorp-SBEE (Afam 3) paid $1.13 million against its invoice of $2.90 million, translating to a remittance performance of 38.97 percent.
Mainstream-NIGELEC, exporting electricity to the Niger Republic, emerged as the best-performing international customer, remitting $2.79 million out of its $4.45 million invoice, with a payment performance of 62.70 percent. However, Odukpani-CEET, another supplier to Togo, did not remit any payment against its $2.29 million invoice, maintaining a zero percent remittance record for the period.
Despite the poor remittance performance for current invoices, the commission disclosed that some international customers made payments towards debts accumulated in previous quarters. During the first quarter of 2026, three international and nine domestic bilateral customers paid $6.64 million and N2.59 billion, respectively, towards outstanding Market Operator invoices from previous quarters.
Specifically, the Market Operator received a total of $4.05 million from Soci©t© B©ninoise d'Energie Electrique, comprising payments for Ughelli ($3.28 million) and Paras ($0.77 million). Additionally, $1.87 million was received from Mainstream-Soci©t© Nig©rienne d'‰lectricit© (NIGELEC) and $0.72 million from Paras-Compagnie Energie Electrique du Togo (CEET).
In contrast, domestic bilateral customers posted stronger payment performance during the review period. The commission reported that they paid N5.82 billion out of the N6.12 billion invoiced by the Market Operator, representing a remittance performance of 95 percent.
The report also highlighted that Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and its host community continued their longstanding failure to pay electricity bills. The special customer made no payment against the N676.88 million invoice issued by the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc and the N189.38 million invoice issued by the Market Operator during the first quarter.