The latest report by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) shows that the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) recorded 33 deaths in the Third Quarter of 2025.
NERC, in its 2025 Third Quarter Report released on Tuesday, also disclosed that the sector recorded 33 injuries within the same period.
When compared with the figures recorded in Q2, 2025, the number of fatalities decreased by five (5) from the 38 recorded in that quarter. However, the number of injuries increased from 19 to 33.
According to the NERC report, during the quarter (2025/Q3), all the accidents occurred at the distribution level i.e. neither Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) nor any of the Generation Companies (GenCos) recorded safety accidents.
It noted that although all the DisCos recorded casualties, the licensees with the highest number of casualties out of the total sixty-six (66) recorded during the quarter are Ikeja and Kano (10), Eko and Kaduna (8), representing 15.15% and 12.12% of the total, respectively.
Adding that the quarter continues the trend of the distribution sub-segment being the biggest driver of safety accidents in the sector. Revealing that DisCos accounted for 93.33%, 100% and 100% in 2024/Q4, 2025/Q1 and 2025/Q2, respectively.
The report, however, disclosed that during 2025/Q3, TCN recorded four (4) cases of damage to property/infrastructure due to explosions, fire outbreaks or acts of vandalism.
The Commission said it has initiated investigations into all reported accidents and would enforce appropriate actions where necessary. Adding that it would continue to closely monitor the implementation of licensees’ accident reduction strategies for the NESI.
While affirming that it shall continue to ensure that all licensees comply with the subsisting performance standards in the NESI, the regulator said it is overseeing settlement processes between licensees and families of accident victims in the NESI.
This, it said, was to ensure transparency of the settlement process and to help the victim’s family secure fair compensation for losses suffered, noting that it oversaw the successful conclusion of two (2) compensation negotiations between licensees and families of accident victims.
Meanwhile, NERC disclosed that it issued forty-seven (47) Orders to guide the activities of licensees during the quarter under review.
It said there was one incident of system disturbance on the National Grid in 2025/Q3 under the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO). Reporting that a total collapse of the grid occurred on 10 September 2025.
The Commission also disclosed that as of 30 September 2025, only 6,661,564 out of the 12,030,315 active32 registered electricity customers (55.37%) across the twelve (12) DisCos were metered.
NERC added that during 2025/Q3, 228,614 end-user customers were metered across all the DisCos, with Ibadan, Aba and Abuja DisCos recording the highest number of meter installations, accounting for 23.38%, 20.81%, and 19.06% of the total installations, respectively. Relative to 2025/Q2, when 226,959 customers were metered, there was a slight increase (+0.73%) in the total number of customers metered in 2025/Q3.
The Commission said Nine (9) DisCos recorded declines in meter installation between 2025/Q2 and 2025/Q3, with Port Harcourt and Jos DisCos recording the largest declines of -62.35% and – 61.68%, respectively. While Aba (+173.45%), Abuja (+38.28%) and Ibadan (+17.72%) DisCos recorded increases in meter installations in 2025/Q3 compared to 2025/Q2.
NERC revealed that out of the 228,614 end-use customers metered in 2025/Q3, 176,302 (77.12%) of customers were metered under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) framework, 44,104 (25.01%) were metered under the Vendor Financed framework, 7,902 (3.46%) were metered under the Distribution Sector Recovery Program (DISREP), 175 (0.08%) were metered under the Meter Acquisition Fund (MAF) and 131 (0.06%) were metered under the DisCo Financed framework.
It further revealed that under the MAP framework, a total of 176,302 meters were installed in 2025/Q3, representing an 18.20% increase compared to the 149,150 MAP meter installations recorded in 2025/Q2. Ibadan (53,441), Abuja (35,449), and Benin (26,690) DisCos recorded the highest number of installations under the MAP framework during the quarter, with 30.31%, 20.11%, and 15.14% of the total installations, respectively.
On Customer complaints, the Commission said in 2025/Q3, 833 complaints were filed at its CCU, representing a 66.33%39 decrease compared to the 2,474 complaints filed at the NERC-CCU in 2025/Q2.
NERC disclosed that Customers of Abuja and Port Harcourt DisCos lodged 450 and 172 complaints, accounting for 54.02% and 20.65% of the total complaints lodged at NERC-CCU, respectively.
Conversely, it said Aba Power (3) and Yola DisCo (5) had the lowest number of complaints, respectively.
It noted that of the 833 complaints lodged at the NERC-CCU during the quarter, 519 were satisfactorily resolved by DisCos. This corresponds to a 62.30% resolution rate, representing a 16.67pp increase compared to the 45.63% resolution rate recorded in 2025/Q2.
According to the Commission, Abuja (56.07%), Port Harcourt (18.11%), and Benin (7.90%) DisCos recorded the highest resolution rates, while Aba Power (1%) and Yola (0.33%) DisCos recorded the lowest resolution rates.
The NERC report revealed that during the quarter, customer complaints about billing constituted 30.97% of the total complaints. Saying that other common issues among the 833 complaints received were metering (22.57%) and tariff band (18.24%).
These three (3) complaints categories, according to NERC, cumulatively accounted for 71.78% of the total complaints in the quarter.
