Nigeria’s electricity distribution companies, known as Discos, lost more than 1.13 million customers over the past year. The main reasons are unreliable power supply and rising energy costs.

This loss happened even though the Discos supplied more electricity, earned record revenues, and expanded metering in 2025.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the number of electricity customers dropped from 13.30 million in Q4 2024 to 12.16 million in Q4 2025. That’s an 8.52% decline year-on-year.

Meanwhile, electricity supplied by the Discos rose by 6.76%, from 6,207.85 gigawatt-hours in Q4 2024 to 6,627.56 GWh in Q4 2025. Revenue also jumped 23.75% to N630.93 billion in Q4 2025, up from N509.84 billion the year before. For the full year, collections went from N1.69 trillion in 2024 to N2.32 trillion in 2025.

Metering improved too. The number of metered customers rose from 6.21 million to 6.97 million, a 12.18% increase. The share of customers on prepaid meters went from 46.71% to 57.27%, while estimated billing dropped by 26.67%.

Which Discos lost the most customers?

• Benin Disco lost the most customers: 379,616.
• Kaduna Disco lost 341,150.
• Yola Disco lost 311,527.
• Ibadan Disco lost 199,409.
• Port Harcourt, Kano, Eko, and Jos Discos also recorded declines.

But some Discos actually gained customers. Enugu Disco added 245,129, Abuja Disco gained 146,378, and Ikeja Disco added 22,016.

Why are customers leaving?

Many households and businesses are abandoning the national grid due to frequent power outages and high electricity costs. In 2024 alone, 24 bulk electricity consumers got licenses to leave the grid and generate their own power. Another 22 entities obtained off-grid permits with a combined capacity of about 289 megawatts. Around 250 manufacturers and tertiary institutions have also switched to self-generation.

The trend continues. Companies listed on the Nigerian Exchange spent N400.83 billion on alternative energy in Q1 2026, up 3.66% from the same period in 2025. Firms that disclosed electricity expenses separately reported an 81.50% increase in power costs, driven by higher tariffs and growing reliance on diesel, gas, and other sources.

The Minister of Power, Chief Joseph Tegbe, has assured Nigerians that electricity supply will improve significantly before the end of the year. He said the government is implementing tough but necessary reforms to fix decades of underinvestment and poor management in the power sector.