By Muhammad Mamman
Nigeria’s electricity regulator has disclosed that three neighbouring countries — Togo, Niger and Benin — owe a combined N25bn for electricity supplied by the country, raising fresh concerns over unpaid cross-border power obligations.
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) made the disclosure in its latest update on the performance of the electricity market, noting that the outstanding debt relates to power exported to the three West African nations under existing bilateral and regional agreements.
According to the commission, Nigeria continues to supply electricity to the countries through its generation and transmission infrastructure, but payments for the energy delivered have not been fully settled.
The growing debt highlights longstanding challenges in regional power trading, including weak payment enforcement mechanisms and financial constraints faced by utility companies across West Africa.
Nigeria is a major electricity hub in the region and supplies power to neighbouring countries as part of efforts to promote regional integration and energy cooperation. However, unpaid bills have increasingly strained the country’s electricity sector, which is already grappling with liquidity shortfalls, ageing infrastructure and supply gaps at home.
NERC did not indicate whether any sanctions or supply adjustments would be applied if the debts persist, but reiterated the need for stricter compliance with payment terms to ensure the sustainability of cross-border electricity trade.
The disclosure comes amid renewed scrutiny of Nigeria’s power exports, as domestic consumers continue to face erratic supply and rising tariffs.
