DisCos power revenue reached N1.13tn in 2025 despite blackouts, as NERC data shows rising collection efficiency across electricity distributors

Nigeria’s 11 electricity distribution companies collected N1.13tn from customers between April and September 2025 despite widespread complaints of blackouts and low power supply, according to performance data released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.

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The six-month figure reflects revenue from the second and third quarters of 2025, during which the national grid experienced a total system collapse and generation companies reported reduced output due to gas shortages linked to unpaid debts.

The commission’s report showed that in the third quarter of 2025, the DisCos collected N570.25bn out of the N706.61bn billed to customers, translating into a collection efficiency of 80.70 per cent.

In comparison, the companies collected N564.71bn out of N742.34bn billed in the second quarter, resulting in a lower collection efficiency of 76.07 per cent.

Taken together, the figures indicate that customers paid N1.13tn in electricity bills over the six-month period, while collection efficiency improved by 4.63 percentage points between the two quarters.

Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company recorded the highest collection efficiency in the third quarter at 100 per cent, while Eko DisCo posted 88.74 per cent, Benin DisCo recorded 86.44 per cent and Abuja DisCo achieved 81.60 per cent.

Kaduna DisCo recorded the lowest collection efficiency at 45.67 per cent, highlighting stark regional disparities in revenue recovery.

Quarter-on-quarter data showed that Ikeja, Port Harcourt, Yola, Abuja, Jos, Eko and Benin DisCos improved their collection efficiencies, while Kaduna, Ibadan and two other operators recorded declines.

From April to June 2025, DisCos collected N564.67bn, with monthly revenues of N197.08bn in April, N188.70bn in May and N178.89bn in June.

Collections rose modestly to N570.28bn in the third quarter, driven by N190.52bn in July, N187.47bn in August and a peak of N192.29bn in September, the highest monthly figure in the period.

The regulator said the improvement in efficiency was partly linked to reduced energy offtake, which encouraged operators to prioritise areas with historically lower losses.

NERC said accurate customer enumeration and wider deployment of meters remain critical to sustaining revenue recovery and improving billing credibility.

The commission said it had directed DisCos to use funds from the Meter Acquisition Fund to install meters for unmetered customers, reporting that more than 107,000 meters were installed under the first tranche by June 2025.

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Further disbursements under the scheme are expected to support additional installations for Band A and Band B customers, the regulator said, as part of a broader push to stabilise the sector and strengthen accountability.