Togo, Niger, and Benin owe Nigeria $17.8 million, equivalent to over ₦25 billion at the current exchange rate, for electricity supplied under bilateral power agreements, according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.

The disclosure was contained in NERC’s Third Quarter 2025 report, which showed that the three countries were invoiced a total of $18.69 million for electricity supplied during the period but paid only $7.125 million, leaving an outstanding balance of $11.56 million.

The report also revealed that the international customers had unpaid legacy invoices amounting to $14.7 million. Of this amount, $7.84 million was remitted, leaving a balance of $6.23 million.

Combined, the outstanding debts from previous quarters and the third quarter of 2025 stood at $17.8 million. At an exchange rate of ₦1,425 to one dollar, the amount translates to approximately ₦25.36 billion.

NERC identified the international power offtakers as Compagnie Énergie Électrique du Togo, Société Béninoise d’Énergie Électrique of Benin Republic, and Société Nigérienne d’Électricité of Niger Republic.

The commission stated that the three countries collectively paid $7.125 million against the $18.69 million invoice issued by the Market Operator for electricity supplied in the third quarter of 2025.

This payment represented a remittance performance of 38.09 per cent, with more than half of the invoiced amount remaining unpaid at the end of the quarter.

The electricity supplied to the three countries was generated by Nigerian grid-connected generation companies and delivered through bilateral cross-border power arrangements.

In contrast, NERC noted that domestic bilateral customers recorded stronger performance, remitting ₦3.19 billion out of the ₦3.64 billion invoiced to them during the same period. This translated to a remittance rate of 87.61 per cent.

The commission added that some bilateral customers made additional payments to settle outstanding invoices from previous quarters. These included $7.84 million from international customers and ₦1.3 billion from domestic customers.

NERC further disclosed that Nigeria’s 11 electricity distribution companies remitted a combined ₦381.29 billion to the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc and the Market Operator in the third quarter of 2025, out of a total invoice of ₦400.48 billion.

This represented a remittance performance of 95.21 per cent, based on reconciled market settlement data submitted to the commission as of December 18, 2025.