Nigeria’s Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has revealed that Benin and Togo collectively owe the country more than $11 million for electricity supplied in the first quarter of 2025. According to NERC’s Q1 financial report, both nations settled only a fraction of their invoices, prompting warnings from Nigerian authorities about disruptors to regional electricity trade.
The report details how Togo’s CEET failed to pay any of its $1.92 million invoice, while Benin’s SBEE only cleared small portions of its dues totaling $2.13 million out of $6.70 million, leaving substantial debts. In total, only $5.8 million was remitted from the $17.24 million invoiced to six bilateral partners, yielding a low compliance rate of 33.7%, with only Niger Republic honouring its full $3.03 million payment.
NERC has warned that sustained defaults threaten the economic viability and stability of cross-border power arrangements and may lead to disconnection or reduced supply to the two defaulting nations. The situation underscores growing strains in Nigeria’s regional electricity partnerships and raises concerns over the future of AfCFTA-driven energy trade.
