The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has revealed that electricity distribution companies (DisCos) received 254,404 customer complaints in the first quarter of 2025, with metering, inaccurate billing, and erratic power supply topping the list.
This marks a 7.72% decrease from the 275,681 complaints recorded in Q4 2024, but the commission says challenges remain deep-rooted.
Top Issues:
Metering – 42.84%
Billing – 12.27%
Service interruption – 7.66%
Together, they accounted for over 62% of all grievances lodged.
DisCo Breakdown:
Port Harcourt DisCo received the most complaints: 57,843 (22.74%)
Yola DisCo received the least: 2,495 (0.98%)
Other major recipients: Ibadan (42,393), Eko (36,780), Ikeja (25,555)
Complaint Surges:
Kano DisCo saw an 86% spike in complaints.
Kaduna, Yola, Aba Power also reported significant increases.
Abuja DisCo posted the largest drop down 74% from the previous quarter.
Refunds:
NERC confirmed that customer complaints led to N32.2 billion in billing refunds during the quarter.
“Other” Issues:
Voltage fluctuations (3,900), disconnections (1,417), load shedding (202), and delays (736) were also highlighted.
Port Harcourt DisCo again led in “Other” issues, logging 28,959 cases.
Despite rising complaints, DisCos collected N553.63 billion in revenue during the same period — amid persistent outages and customer dissatisfaction.
NERC vowed to improve enforcement and customer service standards, saying:
“Credit adjustments after complaints reflect our commitment to consumer protection.”
As public frustration mounts over Nigeria’s unreliable electricity, analysts say real-time customer feedback could be the sector’s saving grace — but only if it’s actually acted upon.
