Togo, Niger, and Benin Owe Over N25 Billion to Nigeria for Electricity Supply
Togo, Niger, and Benin collectively owe Nigeria $17.8 million (over N25 billion at the current exchange rate) for electricity supplied under bilateral arrangements, according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
In its Third Quarter 2025 report, NERC disclosed that the three countries were invoiced a total of $18.69 million by the Market Operator for electricity supplied during the quarter; however, they only remitted $7.125 million, leaving an unpaid balance of $11.55 million.
Legacy invoices from previous quarters amounted to $14.7 million, with $7.84 million paid, resulting in an outstanding debt of $6.23 million. The combined total of current and past debts stands at $17.8 million, equivalent to N25.36 billion at an exchange rate of N1,425 per dollar.
The international electricity offtakers are Compagnie Énergie Électrique du Togo, Société Béninoise d’Énergie Électrique of Benin, and Société Nigérienne d’Électricité of Niger. NERC noted that the electricity supplied originated from Nigerian grid-connected generation companies and was delivered through bilateral cross-border power agreements.
The commission also reported that domestic bilateral customers performed significantly better, paying N3.19 billion out of N3.64 billion invoiced during the quarter, representing a remittance rate of 87.61%. In contrast, the three international customers achieved only a 38.09% remittance rate.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s 11 electricity distribution companies remitted N381.29 billion to the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc and the Market Operator in Q3 2025, accounting for 95.21% of the total invoiced N400.48 billion. These figures were based on reconciled market settlements submitted to NERC as of December 18, 2025.
