The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission says in the first quarter of 2025, electricity distribution firms received over 254,404 consumer complaints, mostly related to defective metering, inconsistent service, and incorrect invoicing.
Consumer complaints totalled 254,404 between January and March 2025, according to NERC’s recently published quarterly report. This is a 7.72% decrease from the 275,681 complaints received during the previous quarter.
Metering (42.84 percent), billing (12.27 percent), and service disruption (7.66 percent) were the top three customer-reported concerns, which together accounted for more than 62% of all complaints.
Port Harcourt DisCo had the most complaints, with 57,843 incidents, accounting for 22.74 percent of the total nationwide, according to NERC, despite the small drop in overall numbers.
Yola DisCo got 2,495 complaints, or 0.98 percent, the fewest of any company. Other popular complaint locations were Ibadan (42,393), Ikeja (25,555), and Eko (36,780). Abuja saw the highest fall of any DisCo, dropping from 23,963 complaints in the previous quarter to 6,225, a 74% decrease.
According to the study, “A total of 254,404 complaints were received across all DisCos in 2025/Q1, which is a 7.72% reduction from the 275,681 complaints received in 2024/Q4.
Port Harcourt DisCo received the highest number of complaints (57,843), representing 22.74 per cent of total complaints received. Yola DisCo received the least number of complaints (2,495), representing 0.98 per cent of total complaints received.
“Six DisCos recorded declines in the number of customer complaints received in 2025/Q1 compared to 2024/Q4. Abuja (-74.02 per cent), Benin (-30.17 per cent), and Jos (-29.16 per cent) DisCos recorded the most reductions. Kano (+86.12 per cent), Kaduna (+37.33 per cent), Yola (+30.15 per cent), Aba Power (+17.16 per cent), Ikeja (+9.98 per cent) and Port Harcourt (+5.78 per cent) DisCos on the other hand recorded increases in the number of customer complaints received between 2024/Q4 and 2025/Q1.
“The most common issues among the 254,404 complaints received by DisCos in 2025/Q1 were metering (42.84 per cent), billing (12.27 per cent) and service interruption (7.66 per cent). These three (3) categories cumulatively accounted for 62.77 per cent of the total complaints in the quarter.”
NERC’s analysis also showed that while six DisCos recorded drops in complaints, others saw sharp increases. Notably, Kano Electricity Distribution Company experienced an 86 per cent spike, rising from 17,328 complaints in Q4 2024 to 32,251 in Q1 2025. Kaduna (+37.3 per cent), Yola (+30.15 per cent), and Aba Power (+17.16 per cent) also saw marked increases.
According to the commission, client refunds worth N32.2 billion were issued in the first quarter alone as a result of complaints over invoicing, the second most common category. Following the verification of overbilling allegations, the money was credited to the clients’ accounts.
In addition to having the most complaints in the “Others” category (28,959), Port Harcourt also had the most billing complaints (5,260 incidents). 11,562 metering complaints, 4,497 service outages, and 17,972 additional complaints were reported to Eko DisCo.
There were 3,200 metering issues reported to Ibadan DisCo, while “Others” accounted for 25,940, indicating a large number of other unsolved concerns. Voltage problems (3,900 incidents), load shedding (202 cases), disconnections (1,417 cases), and delays (736 cases) are further areas of concern.
Notably, Kano DisCo, which received 32,251 complaints, reported 25,988 metering-related issues, the second-highest in that category after Eko. At the central complaint unit of the commission, an additional 4,169 complaints were received directly, with billing, metering, and interruption still dominating the feedback.
Port Harcourt and Ikeja DisCos had the highest billing-related complaints recorded at the NERC CCU, with 91 and 283, respectively. Abuja followed closely with 194 complaints.
While commenting on the development, NERC said, “The credit adjustment on customers’ bills, following resolved complaints, is a strong indicator of our commitment to consumer protection and accountability in the power sector.”
The regulator also reiterated its plan to strengthen enforcement mechanisms and customer service protocols across all 11 DisCos to ensure faster resolution of complaints and reduce recurring grievances.
As Nigeria continues to grapple with power supply inconsistencies, experts believe addressing customer feedback in real time will be critical to restoring public trust in the electricity sector.
The distribution companies collected N553.63bn in the first quarter of 2025 despite widespread complaints of low power supply, billing inefficiencies, and persistent outages. This jump in earnings came even as Nigerians grappled with unreliable electricity, grid frequency instability, and supply fluctuations
