By Udeme Akpan
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, has said that the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and the host community’s indebtedness for power supply amounted to more than ₦1.03 billion.
The Ajaokuta integrated steel complex was conceived and steadily developed with the vision of erecting a Metallurgical Process Plant cum Engineering Complex with other auxiliaries and facilities.
The complex is meant to be used to generate important upstream and downstream industrial and economic activities that are critical to the diversification of our economy into an industrial one.
In its third quarter 2025 report, the NERC stated: “The special customer (Ajaokuta Steel Co. Ltd and the host community) did not make any payment towards the ₦1.03 billion (NBET) and ₦0.10 billion (MO) invoices received in 2025/Q3.
“This continues a longstanding trend of non-payment by this customer, and the Commission has communicated the need for intervention on this issue to the relevant FGN authorities.”
Also, profiling the indebtedness of different parties, the NERC disclosed that Togo, Niger, and Benin owe Nigeria $17.8 million, an equivalent of over N25 billion at the current exchange rate, for electricity supplied under bilateral arrangements.
It stated: “The remittances made by bilateral customers (domestic and international) and special customers for invoices issued in 2025/Q3. The three (3) international bilateral customers being supplied by GenCos in the NESI made a payment of $7.12 million against the cumulative invoice of $18.69 million issued by the MO for services rendered in 2025/Q3, translating to a remittance performance of 38.09%.
“The domestic bilateral customers made a cumulative payment of ₦3,192.30 million against the invoice of ₦3,643.56 million issued to them by the MO for services rendered in 2025/Q3, translating to 87.61% remittance performance.
“It is noteworthy that some bilateral customers also made payments for outstanding MO invoices from previous quarters, as follows: the MO received $7.84 million from the international bilateral customers and ₦1,299.66 million from the domestic bilateral customers.”
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