Nigeria’s electricity distribution companies say they billed customers ₦744.67 billion for electricity supplied in the second quarter of 2026 but collected ₦603.64 billion, leaving a gap of about ₦141.03 billion between bills issued and payments received.
The figures are contained in the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (NERC) Q2 2026 Operational and Commercial Performance Report, which highlights developments in power generation, revenue collection, customer metering and regulatory oversight across the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.
According to the report, the sector recorded a billing efficiency of 79 per cent and a revenue collection efficiency of 81 per cent during the quarter.
On market remittances, electricity distribution companies (DisCos) achieved a combined remittance rate of 94 per cent, settling ₦385.44 billion out of invoices issued by the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) and the Market Operator (MO).
The report also showed that grid-connected power plants operated at an average plant load factor of 90 per cent, with average hourly generation recorded at 4,022.40 megawatt-hours per hour (MWh/h).
In the area of metering, DisCos installed meters for an additional 350,270 customers during the quarter, raising the national metering rate to 62 per cent.
Despite the progress, the report identified electricity losses as a major challenge for the sector. Average actual aggregate technical, commercial and collection (ATC&C) losses across the distribution companies stood at 36 per cent, significantly above the average allowed target of 16.92 per cent.
The difference points to a persistent gap between the losses distribution companies are permitted to incur and those recorded in actual operations, with implications for revenue recovery and the financial sustainability of electricity distribution.
On regulation, NERC issued 64 regulatory instruments during the quarter in exercise of its powers under the Electricity Act 2023. These included 35 regulatory orders and 18 certificates under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) and Meter Service Provider (MSP) frameworks.
The quarterly figures provide a snapshot of an electricity market making progress in metering and revenue collection but still facing substantial distribution losses and gaps in commercial performance.
