Nigeria’s Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) generated a total of N597.55 billion in revenue in the first quarter of 2026, despite continued complaints of poor electricity supply and widespread blackouts across the country.
Data released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC)) showed that the 11 DisCos collectively recorded strong revenue performance between January and March 2026, even as power generation and supply challenges persisted nationwide.
According to the figures, the companies earned N204.74 billion in January, N196.68 billion in February, and N196.13 billion in March, bringing total collections for the quarter to N597.55 billion.
The monthly data shows that DisCos billed customers N268.20 billion in January but collected N204.74 billion, leaving a shortfall of N63.46 billion. Billing efficiency for the month stood at 79.72 per cent, while collection efficiency was 76.34 per cent.
In February, total billing dropped to N242.29 billion, with collections of N196.68 billion, leaving an uncollected balance of N45.61 billion. That month recorded improved billing efficiency of 87.44 per cent and collection efficiency of 81.17 per cent.
March figures showed total billings of N246.43 billion and collections of N196.13 billion, with a revenue gap of N50.30 billion. Billing and collection efficiencies stood at 83.89 per cent and 79.59 per cent respectively.
The report further highlighted uneven performance across distribution companies, with some operators recording stronger recovery rates than others. Eko Electricity Distribution Company and Ikeja Electric were among the top performers, while Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company recorded one of the weakest recovery performances during the period.
In contrast, Eko DisCo reportedly achieved a recovery efficiency of over 100 per cent in February, reflecting improved revenue recovery mechanisms in certain zones.
Despite the revenue growth, consumers across the country continue to face erratic electricity supply, frequent outages, and rising electricity tariffs. Many households and businesses still rely heavily on generators due to unstable grid performance.
The electricity sector has also been affected by persistent gas supply shortages, which have reduced power generation capacity. Industry data indicates that thermal plants require about 1,629.75 million standard cubic feet of gas per day to operate optimally, but supply has fallen significantly below demand.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (Transmission Company of Nigeria) has at various times implemented load-shedding measures to manage limited supply across the national grid.
Stakeholders have continued to call for improved metering systems, stronger enforcement against energy theft, and better infrastructure investment to enhance efficiency and service delivery within the privatised power sector.