Electricity consumers across Nigeria failed to pay a total of ₦70.25 billion in May 2025, according to the latest Commercial Performance Report released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
The 12 electricity distribution companies (Discos) billed consumers ₦261.82 billion during the month but recovered only ₦191.57 billion, translating to a collection efficiency of 73.17% — a 4.42 percentage point drop from April 2025.
Despite a 5.80% increase in energy received, rising to 2,774.49 gigawatt-hours (GWh), and a 3.25% rise in energy billed to 2,255.51 GWh, the billing efficiency fell to 81.29%, down by 2.01 percentage points from the previous month.
NERC’s report also highlighted a sharp decline in revenue recovery. Although the allowed average tariff stood at ₦116.25 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), the actual collection averaged only ₦82.05/kWh — reflecting a recovery efficiency of 70.58%, a drop of 7.32 percentage points compared to April.
The figures underline growing concerns over the financial sustainability of the power sector amid rising costs and payment shortfalls.
