Nigeria's DisCos Recover N1.63trn but Miss N387bn Target

Between January and August 2026, Nigeria's 11 electricity distribution companies (DisCos) collected N1.63 trillion from customers but failed to recover N387.19 billion of the N2.01 trillion billed, according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). The strongest monthly collection occurred in August, with N220.93 billion collected, marking a 7.49 percent increase from July.

Collections fluctuated throughout the eight months, with a low of N191.68 billion in June. In August, the DisCos received electricity valued at N346.49 billion but billed only N261.10 billion, resulting in N85.39 billion worth of unbilled energy.

The billing efficiency was 75.36 percent, a slight improvement from July. The collection efficiency rose to 84.62 percent, indicating better recovery of bills issued.

Eko Electricity Distribution Company had the highest recovery efficiency at 96.29 percent, while Kaduna DisCo recorded the lowest at 41.90 percent. NERC reported an overall revenue recovery efficiency of 77.63 percent in August, up from 74.91 percent in July.