Nigeria's electricity distribution companies lost more than 1.13 million customers in 2025 as many homes, businesses and industries turned to other sources of power because of rising electricity costs and unreliable supply, according to industry data.
A report by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission showed that customer numbers fell from 13.30 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 to 12.16 million in the same period of 2025, a decline of 8.52%.
Despite the drop in customers, the companies earned more money during the year.
Electricity supplied to the distribution companies increased by 6.76%, while annual revenue rose from ₦1.69 trillion in 2024 to ₦2.32 trillion in 2025.
The report said, "Total customer numbers in Q4 2025 stood at 12.16 million, up from 12.03 million in Q3 2025."
However, it added that "on a year-on-year basis, the number of customers declined by 8.52 per cent, from 13.30 million recorded in Q4 2024."
The decline comes after electricity tariffs for Band A customers were sharply increased in 2024, prompting many consumers, including manufacturers and large institutions, to invest in self-generated electricity such as solar systems and gas or diesel-powered plants.
The sector, however, recorded progress in metering.
The number of metered customers rose by more than 12% to 6.97 million, while the number of unmetered customers fell significantly.
Benin, Kaduna and Yola electricity distribution companies recorded the biggest customer losses, while Enugu, Abuja and Ikeja added new customers.
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