Power Generation Drops 37%, DISCOs Lose ₦129bn Amid 184,000 Consumer Complaints

Nigeria’s electricity supply has taken a sharp hit as power generation fell by 37.17% to 3,885.72 megawatts (MW), leaving households and businesses grappling with worsening blackouts.

The decline comes just weeks after the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, announced a peak generation of 5,330MW in August and September, raising concerns about the sustainability of recent gains in the sector.

According to data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), the drop is expected to further strain distribution networks, forcing consumers to rely more heavily on generators amid rising fuel costs.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) reported that electricity consumers filed 184,024 complaints in the first half of 2026, with metering, billing, and service interruptions topping the list.

In Q2 alone, complaints rose slightly to 92,407, with an 80% resolution rate.Distribution companies (DISCOs) also face mounting financial challenges.

NERC revealed that Aggregate Technical, Commercial, and Collection (ATC&C) losses stood at 36.23% in Q2, far above the 16.92% target.

This translated into a revenue loss of ₦129.07 billion across the sector. Kaduna DISCO recorded the worst performance, with losses of 67.70% against a target of 18.18%.

Ikeja Electric, in a statement, attributed reduced supply hours to shortfalls in power allocation from the national grid, assuring customers that efforts were ongoing to improve distribution.

The worsening supply situation underscores the persistent structural issues in Nigeria’s power sector, where generation gains are often undermined by distribution inefficiencies and financial losses.