International Customers Left Power Invoices Unpaid in Q2
Benin, Togo, and Niger accumulated over $10 million in unpaid electricity bills during the second quarter of 2026.
Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in International Trade
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Should Nigeria prioritize stricter payment enforcement for its international electricity customers?
During the second quarter of 2026, international power customers in Benin, Togo, and Niger left $10.17 million in electricity invoices unpaid. Nigeria's Market Operator reported a 46.02% remittance performance for these international accounts for the period.
Why it matters
The outstanding international balances highlight the ongoing difficulties in collecting payments for cross-border energy services. While international customers settled over $10 million in arrears from the previous quarter, their performance remains significantly lower than domestic counterparts.
International customers were billed $18.84 million for power services in Q2 2026, with only $8.67 million collected. In comparison, domestic bilateral customers were billed N7.55 billion and maintained a 91.54% remittance rate.
The players
Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission
The agency is responsible for the regulation of the Nigerian electricity supply industry and the billing of power services.
Ajaokuta Steel Co. Ltd
The company is a domestic entity that failed to make payments toward its N1.18 billion invoice from the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading company.
The details
International customers received power generated by Nigerian GenCos and were billed by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission. While Mainstream-NIGELEC paid its full $5.79 million invoice, other entities including Transcorp-SBEE and Odukpani-CEET made no payments toward their combined multi-million dollar obligations.
Timeline
Q1 2024: International customers recorded no payment on $14.19 million in invoices.
End of 2025: International customers owed $11.16 million in outstanding electricity bills.
Q1 2026: This period generated arrears that were partially settled during the second quarter.
Q2 2026: International customers left $10.17 million in electricity invoices unpaid.
August 2024: Reporting was published regarding international payment performance.
Market Dynamics
The collection of cross-border energy payments reflects broader challenges in managing infrastructure debt across West African power pools. These arrears indicate a persistent divergence between domestic payment compliance and the complexities of international energy trade agreements.
Retail and institutional investors in the energy sector should monitor these remittance shortfalls, as unpaid invoices impact the balance sheets of power generation companies. Continued payment volatility may influence the long-term feasibility of expanding electricity export capacity to neighboring nations.
The takeaway
The gap between billed amounts and actual payments highlights the financial risks inherent in cross-border energy exports for emerging market utilities. Stakeholders should track how regulatory bodies manage these ongoing collection deficits to ensure regional energy security.
Further reading
For more information on cross-border energy commerce, visit the International Trade section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Nairametrics.
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Should Nigeria prioritize stricter payment enforcement for its international electricity customers?
