General
ATC&C Losses of 11 DisCos Leap to 51%—Agusto
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
In 2020, the 11 electricity distribution (DisCos) operating in Nigeria recorded aggregate technical, commercial and collection (ATC&C) losses of 51 per cent, higher than 45 per cent in 2019.
The rise in ATC&C losses was largely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a report by a local rating agency, Agusto & Co, stated, adding that this high loss level remains one of the many reasons for the kickback from electricity consumers on tariff increases, especially in the absence of a significant and immediate improvement in power supply.
The firm said last year, the energy companies only billed for 74 per cent of the energy received from the transmission company, lower than the 81 per cent reported in the prior year.
Billing efficiency, which has historically been impaired by a low metering rate and energy theft, with only 37 per cent of registered electricity customers metered in 2020, was severely impacted by the global health crisis, it added.
Agusto said it believes the impact of the pandemic was more visible amongst consumer groups with post-paid meters and estimated bills given that the social distancing rules and movement restrictions established to curb the spread of the virus impaired the physical billing process. Collection efficiency also fell marginally to 66 per cent from 68 per cent one year prior.
Since the privatisation exercise that commenced in 2013, the electric power industry in Nigeria has remained fraught with many of the same challenges ranging from unreflective tariffs to high loss levels, obsolete infrastructure, weak policy implementation and gas shortages. All of these have culminated in a weak and erratic power supply and dependence on self-generation by many businesses and households.
“These challenges have not only weakened the ability of operators to meet electricity demand but also threaten their financial viability, with significant implications for the fiscal health of the country.
“Despite the series of amendments to the tariff structure, cash flows from MYTO (the Multi-Year Tariff Order) have remained insufficient to fully cover the costs of electricity supplied.
“The fear of the impact of a ‘rate shock’ on consumers and the accompanying loss of political capital has prevented the effective implementation of necessary amendments that will align the MYTO’s assumptions with economic realities. Electricity has thus consistently been sold at a discount, with end-user electricity tariffs much lower than the cost of electricity supplied,” a part of the report said.
“The shortfall from unreflective tariffs has been borne in large parts by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) through multiple intervention funds and payment assurance facilities from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) totalling close to N2 trillion ($4.9 billion) as at the end of 2020, equivalent to c.6 per cent of CBN’s balance sheet.
“Despite this level of intervention, the generating companies had estimated receivables of over N400 billion in 2020 alone. Whilst the interventions have been central in ensuring the profitability of operators along the industry’s value chain, they remain insufficient and unsustainable,” it added.
More recently, there have been notable efforts by the primary regulator – NERC – to minimise the challenges faced by operators in the Industry.
In particular, tariffs have been raised to near cost-reflective levels and adjusted to match consumption via an initiative dubbed Service Reflective Tariffs (SRT). The new tariff model as the name indicates is expected to reflect and match the quality of service received by the ultimate consumers of electricity.
Distribution companies will therefore discriminate in the application of tariffs; consumers who enjoy longer daily supply will be expected to pay higher rates and vice versa.
The SRT like other MYTO models has key estimates (and projections) for macroeconomic and industry-specific indicators including inflation, exchange rates and electricity generation.
Other company-dependent factors considered in the determination of tariffs include the amount of electricity received and the aggregate technical, commercial and collection (ATC&C) losses. Ultimately, tariff shortfalls (the difference between end-user tariffs and cost-reflective tariffs) are expected to taper off by the end of 2022, with tariffs fully reflective and sufficient to cover the cost of production, the report further said.
“Whilst a number of the assumptions align with market realities, we note that the inflation and electricity generation estimates in the SRT model are much higher than the actual entries reported for the corresponding periods.
“In our view, these disparities have the potential to impair the attainment of cost reflectiveness. Agusto believes adopting scenario analysis and modelling will provide a more robust framework to determine an appropriate tariff structure for the Industry in a dynamic macroeconomic environment such as Nigeria’s,” it said.
“In addition to the SRT, the primary regulator – the National Electricity Commission (NERC) – introduced a minimum remittance threshold for each distribution company which stipulates a mandatory payment that must be made to the bulk trader for electricity received.
“Furthermore, in February 2020, NERC introduced guidelines for ‘Merit Order Dispatching’ which involves ranking electricity generation and dispatch by the transmission company of Nigeria (TCN) in ascending order of costs with the cheapest electricity – such as those from Hydro plants with no fuel cost component – ahead of more expensive plants.
“The order also provides guidelines on the alignment of invoicing for capacity charge and energy delivered as well as a framework for the settlement of any imbalance between DisCos and TCN. The Merit Dispatching Order should eliminate the shift of responsibility for load rejection prevalent between DisCos and the TCN and improve the technical and operational efficiencies of these operators,” it also stated.
Concluding, Agusto said, “While operators are generally optimistic that the new tariffs and accompanying regulations would enhance efficiency and position the Industry on the trajectory towards achieving financial independence and ultimately improvements in the volume and quality of electricity supply.”
“In our view, to truly achieve the objectives of privatisation, reforms need to be accompanied by a strong and enabling regulatory environment.
“Furthermore, improved access to finance, efficiency in billing and metering as well as consistent and secure gas supply is vital to reap the benefits of privatization in the long run.
“While the journey to constant electric power supply remains far and long-winded, Agusto & Co believes the initiatives undertaken by the primary regulator – NERC– if consistently enforced have the potential to move the industry forward in the right direction,” it said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has confirmed the destruction of six transmission towers along the Apir–Lafia 330kV line in Nasarawa State, causing significant disruption to electricity supply in parts of the country.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, TCN spokesperson, Mrs Ndidi Mbah, said the incident occurred on May 30 at about 1:15 a.m. during a heavy downpour.
She explained that the transmission line initially tripped, prompting operators to attempt a trial reclosure of Line II at about 2:08 a.m., but the effort failed.
A subsequent inspection of the transmission corridor, however, revealed extensive damage to key components of towers T125 to T130, confirming that the infrastructure had been vandalised.
“The tripping of the lines prompted a physical line trace to determine the fault, which revealed damage to critical components of towers T125 to T130, confirming vandalism on the affected sections of the transmission corridor,” Mbah said.
The incident has forced both Apir–Lafia 330kV Transmission Lines I and II out of service pending the reconstruction of the damaged towers.
TCN said its engineers have been deployed to the site to assess the extent of the damage and determine the materials required to restore normal transmission along the corridor.
As an interim measure, the Lafia 330kV Transmission Station is being supplied through an alternative line to minimise the impact on electricity consumers within the franchise areas of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC).
The company condemned the persistent vandalism of power infrastructure, warning that such acts undermine investments in the electricity sector and threaten the stability of the national grid.
It also urged residents and host communities to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities around transmission installations to security agencies or the nearest TCN office.
TCN stressed that safeguarding critical national infrastructure requires collective responsibility to ensure a reliable and uninterrupted electricity supply nationwide.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A Nigeria Gender Country Programme (NGCP) to advance private sector action on gender equality and inclusive economic growth has been unveiled at a high-level virtual CEO Roundtable convened by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Group Plc, and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).
The NGCP builds on the momentum of Nigeria2Equal and other initiatives that have advanced workplace inclusion, women’s leadership, entrepreneurship, and sustainable finance across Nigeria’s private sector.
Designed as a more integrated and collaborative platform, the programme seeks to scale impact through coordinated action among development institutions, business leaders, regulators, and the organised private sector.
Anchored on three strategic priorities, the programme aims to increase women’s representation in leadership, improve access to quality employment, and expand access to productive assets—including finance, technology, and markets—for women and women-led businesses.
The partners are expected to formally launch the Nigeria Gender Country Program at a physical event scheduled for July 9, 2026, where stakeholders will further advance implementation of the programme’s strategic priorities.
At the virtual event, the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr Emomotimi Agama, said, “Gender inclusion is fundamentally an economic growth imperative. Closing gender gaps can unlock billions of dollars in value for Nigeria while strengthening business performance and national competitiveness. We must therefore move beyond viewing inclusion as a corporate social responsibility initiative or compliance exercise, and instead recognise it as a strategic driver of productivity, innovation, and sustainable economic growth.”
Commenting on the initiative, the chief executive of NGX Group, Mr Temi Popoola, said the initiative “presents a significant opportunity to deepen impact and accelerate progress across corporate Nigeria. By expanding women’s access to leadership opportunities, quality employment, finance, technology, and markets, we can unlock substantial economic value while building a more competitive, inclusive, and resilient private sector. At NGX Group, we believe the capital market has a critical role to play in advancing these outcomes through stronger governance, transparency, and stakeholder engagement.”
On his part, the IFC Head of Office in Lagos, Mr Christian Mulamula, said, “Closing the gender gap is one of the most significant opportunities to strengthen competitiveness and productivity. Across Africa, gender inequality is estimated to cost up to $2.5 trillion. Through the Nigeria Gender Country Program, IFC is working with the private sector to expand women’s leadership, improve access to better jobs, and increase opportunities for women-led businesses. Building on Nigeria2Equal, this initiative focuses on practical, measurable solutions that help businesses grow while advancing inclusive growth.”
In her remarks, the DG of LCCI, Ms Chinyere Almona, noted that the programme’s success would depend on leadership accountability and sustained commitment from business leaders, particularly in embedding gender inclusion into organisational strategy and execution.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has commenced a forensic investigation into the collision between the container vessel MV Maersk Valparaiso and the oil tanker MT Lady Martina at Bonny Anchorage in Rivers State, following the download of Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) and Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) data from the vessel for navigational analysis.
The bureau’s Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Mrs Funke Adebayo Arowojobe, explained that in line with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Casualty Investigation Code and international obligations, NSIB had formally notified the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) of Singapore as a substantially interested State.
The incident, which occurred on May 20, 2026, has been classified by the bureau as a Very Serious Marine Casualty (VSMC).
She also said that NSIB activated its marine occurrence response protocols immediately after receiving notification of the incident, noting that the investigation Go-Team was deployed to Onne and Bonny on May 22 to commence evidence preservation and preliminary investigative activities.
The bureau disclosed that investigators boarded both vessels and conducted interviews with their masters and key crew members, while operational records and navigational data linked to the incident were secured.
Also, the director stressed that the bureau had commenced collaborative engagement with relevant local and international stakeholders as part of the investigation process, assuring the public and maritime stakeholders that the investigation would be conducted with professionalism, independence and thoroughness, stressing that the objective was to determine the causal and contributory factors of the occurrence and enhance maritime safety.
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