Chai! My people, e be like say Togo, Niger, and Benin dey play prank with Nigeria money o! Dem dey owe Nigeria $17.8 million wey na over N25 billion for light wey Nigeria supply dem.
Naija Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) talk am for their Quarter Three 2025 report. Dem say na only $7.125 million dem don pay out of the $18.69 million wey dem invoice dem for electricity supply. So, e mean say dem still dey owe $11.56 million wey dem no pay!
And no be say na just this quarter o, dem get wahala from previous bills too. From previous quarters, dem get legacy debts wey be around $14.7 million, but dem don pay $7.84 million, so dem still dey owe $6.23 million. If you calculate everything join, na serious money wey total reach $17.8 million. E go shock you say na two of our big neighbours wey dey carry this debt!
NERC don carry their eye waka come check the names of the debtors. Dem be Compagnie Énergie Électrique du Togo, Société Béninoise d’Énergie Électrique, and Société Nigérienne d’Électricité. Dem don dey connect power from our Nigeria generating companies (GenCos) but dem no wan pay well. Dem don pay only 38.09% of wetin dem suppose to pay. Na wah!
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s domestic creditors wey dey collect power don shine better pass these guys. Dem don pay N3.19 billion out of N3.64 billion wey dem invoice dem during the same quarter, wey make am 87.61% remittance performance. At least, dem dey try small.
NERC come explain say some international customers still dey pay for the past quarters alongside their current debts. For the report, dem include say NERC don see evidence say Nigeria electricity distribution companies don remitted N381.29 billion to Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Plc and the Market Operator for Q3 2025 from total invoice of N400.48 billion. This one show say dem dey try balance their own!
Abeg o, how these international neighbours go take manage dis level of debt? E be like say we go need to do serious meeting with dem. Naija don show them plenty kindness with electric light, but dem no go make light work for the money, we go hold dem accountable!
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