DisCos rake in N801.16bn from power consumers despite blackouts — NERC

Nigeria’s electricity distribution companies collected N801.16bn from consumers between January and April 2026 despite widespread power outages, with data from NERC showing N207.77bn in billed revenue still uncollected during the period.

Nigerians paid dearly for power they barely enjoyed.

Electricity distribution companies (DisCos) collected a total of N801.16bn from consumers between January and April 2026, even as households and businesses battled months of erratic electricity supply, according to data obtained from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

Commercial performance factsheets released by the regulator show the 11 DisCos collected N204.74bn in January, N196.68bn in February, N196.13bn in March and N203.61bn in April — adding up to the N801.16bn total for the four-month stretch.

And this happened despite serious supply headaches. Gas shortages crippled power generation for months, triggering widespread load shedding that hit hardest in February and March, leaving many customers in the dark for extended periods while bills kept coming.

The numbers tell an even bigger story. NERC data shows the DisCos billed customers a combined N1.01tn during the period but only recovered N801.16bn — leaving a whopping N207.77bn in uncollected revenue.

Breaking it down monthly: in January, DisCos billed N268.20bn and collected N204.74bn, leaving N63.46bn outstanding. Billing efficiency stood at 79.72 per cent, with collection efficiency at 76.34 per cent.

February saw billings drop to N242.29bn, with N196.68bn collected, resulting in N45.61bn in uncollected revenue. Efficiency figures improved, with billing efficiency at 87.44 per cent and collection efficiency at 81.17 per cent.

By March, total billings hit N246.43bn against collections of N196.13bn, leaving N50.30bn outstanding. Billing and collection efficiencies stood at 83.89 per cent and 79.59 per cent, respectively.

The figures paint a picture of a sector still struggling to match what it bills with what it delivers — and consumers footing the bill regardless of how reliable the power actually is.