Amid problems ravaging Nigeria’s power sector, the trio of Benin, Togo, and Niger have failed to fully collect payments for power sector supply delivered in the fourth quarter of 2025.
These three West African nations’ debts accrue a cumulative debt of $9.55 million, or N13.07 billion, despite Nigeria’s continuous difficulties with electricity supply.
ENigeria Newspaper gathered this in a report released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
This issue is a bad optic on Nigeria’s power sector which itself has been one of the most enduring obstacles to the country’s progress for many years. The nation nevertheless faces problems in its power sector with insufficient power supply, inefficient distribution networks, and a regulatory structure that frequently finds it difficult to keep up with changing reality despite several reforms, privatization initiatives, and policy changes.
Yet, the nation cannot make use of revenues from its power sector exports as debts from these three nations accumulate to more than N13bn.
Invoices totaling $20.44 million were sent by Nigeria’s market operator to foreign bilateral clients in all three nations during that time, according to the report. Nevertheless, just $10.89 million was sent, which amounts to a 53.28 percent payment performance.
“The three international bilateral customers being supplied by GenCos in the Nigerian electricity power sector made a payment of $10.89 m against the cumulative invoice of $20.44 m issued by the MO for services rendered in 2025/Q4, translating to a remittance performance of 53.28 percent”, the report stated.
This shows that only $53.28 of every $100 billed was paid, leaving an outstanding balance of $46.72, or the $9.55 million deficit.
The breakdown of these debts show that the debts are in variants, ranging from one company to the other across these three countries. Mainstream-NIGELEC in Niger paid $4.09 million of the $5.96 million billed (68.63 percent).
With only $0.46 million out of $3.74 million, or 12.30 percent, Transcorp-SBEE (Ughelli) in Benin reported one of the lowest remittances. Transcorp-SBEE (Afam 3) in Benin, on the other hand, demonstrated better compliance by paying $3.21 million of their $3.90 million invoice (82.31 percent).
While Paras-CEET in Togo settled $1.46 million off a $2.18 million debt (64.97 percent), Paras-SBEE in Benin paid $1.67 million of its $2.45 million invoice (68.16 percent).
Despite obvious lack of power supply in the country, Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has stated that electricity generation in the country rose to 4,300 megawatts between March 28 and April 10, 2026, amid ongoing criticism of the power sector.
