Electricity Distribution Companies (DiSCos) in Nigeria collected about N600bn (N597.55bn) from consumers in the first quarter of 2026, according to the latest industry data released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.
The figure, which covers January to March 2026, shows the DisCos generated revenue close to the N600bn mark despite persistent challenges in the power sector.
According to the NERC commercial performance factsheets, the DisCos recorded N204.74bn in January, N196.68bn in February and N196.13bn in March 2026, bringing the first-quarter total to N597.55bn, averaging approximately N199.18bn per month.
The NERC reports highlight varying levels of commercial efficiency across the 11 DisCos. While some companies showed improvements in billing and collection efficiencies in certain months, overall performance remained mixed, with notable revenue shortfalls recorded monthly.
In January, the DisCos had total billings of N268.20bn but collected only N204.74bn, leaving N63.46bn in uncollected revenue for the month. Billing efficiency stood at 79.72 per cent, while collection efficiency was 76.34 per cent.
February 2026 saw total billings of N242.29bn, with N196.68bn collected. This resulted in N45.61bn in uncollected bills. The month recorded better billing efficiency at 87.44 per cent and collection efficiency of 81.17 per cent.
In March 2026, billings totalled N246.43bn, but collections stood at N196.13bn, indicating N50.30bn in uncollected revenue.
Billing and collection efficiencies were 83.89 per cent and 79.59 per cent, respectively, in the third month.
The reports also show significant unbilled energy each month.
Eko DisCo and Ikeja DisCo consistently ranked among the stronger performers in revenue recovery, with Eko achieving over 100 per cent recovery efficiency in February.
In contrast, companies such as Kaduna and Jos DisCos continued to struggle with lower collection and recovery rates. For instance, in February, Kaduna DisCo recorded a recovery efficiency of just 41.20 per cent, one of the lowest in the period.
The NERC data, which tracks energy received, energy billed, total billings, revenue collected, and recovery efficiency, provides a clear picture of the commercial viability of the privatised distribution companies.
Power consumers have continued to express frustration over high tariffs amid frequent outages and perceived poor service delivery. In the first quarter of the year, Nigerians endured a persistent power crisis due to gas constraints, causing generation to drop from around 4,000 megawatts to less than 2,000 MW at some points.
Stakeholders have repeatedly called for improved metering, tighter enforcement against energy theft, and better customer service to boost collection rates.
The ongoing challenges in the sector, including infrastructure deficits and liquidity issues, continue to affect the ability of DisCos to fully convert energy supplied into revenue.
During the quarter, the Nigerian Independent System Operator provided operational data illustrating the scale of the shortfall, noting that thermal power plants require an estimated 1,629.75 million standard cubic feet of gas per day to operate at optimal capacity, but as of February 23, 2026, actual supply stood at about 692.00 mmscf per day—representing less than 43 per cent of the required volume.
As gas supply declined in Q1, several power plants have shut down while the Transmission Company of Nigeria engaged in load shedding, rationing the limited energy available among the DisCos.
On their various platforms, the distribution companies have repeatedly appealed to customers, attributing the outages to gas shortages. – Punch.
