Nigeria’s largest electricity distribution company, Ikeja Electric, has given customers eight days to submit their Tax Identification Number, National Identification Number, or CAC registration details, or risk disconnection.
The electricity distributor issued a public notice on Wednesday to warn customers that bills issued without at least one of these identification numbers are now considered invalid under Nigeria’s new tax law.
Customers who don’t comply by February 20 could see their electricity supply suspended.
The company says it’s responding to the Nigeria Tax Act (2025), which became law on January 1, 2026, and requires all invoices to include customer identification information.
The company has asked customers to fill out a form providing either their TIN, NIN, or CAC number so the company can update billing records and stay compliant.
The 2025 Tax Act has introduced new requirements for businesses in Nigeria regarding invoicing. Companies must now capture and display customer identification information on their bills.
For electricity distributors like Ikeja Electric, this means they need to upgrade their billing systems to include details such as tax ID numbers, national IDs, or corporate registration information.
The law is designed to enhance tax compliance and help authorities monitor commercial transactions more easily. By linking utility bills to verified identities, the government can compare consumption patterns with tax records to find individuals or businesses that may be underreporting their income.
For Ikeja Electric, the situation is clear: bills that do not meet the new standard are not valid. This means the company cannot make customers pay or cut off their service under current rules.
That’s why it is urging customers to submit their details before the deadline.
The company’s notice makes the stakes clear. If you don’t provide one of the required ID numbers by February 20, Ikeja Electric says it won’t be able to generate your electricity bill. Without a valid bill, the company argues it has grounds to cut off supply.
This pressures customers who lack easy access to their TIN or haven’t registered for one. Although NIN is becoming more common due to government efforts for national ID enrollment, many residential customers still don’t have a TIN, as they may not see it as necessary.
The February 20 deadline is coming soon. Customers have a little over a week to gather documents, verify their ID, and submit them to Ikeja Electric. For long-time bill payers, this sudden requirement and threat of disconnection feels unexpected.
Currently, other distribution companies in Nigeria have not released similar announcements. It’s uncertain if they are developing their own compliance systems or adopting a different strategy regarding the tax law.
Regardless, Ikeja Electric’s strict timeline and threat of disconnection may set a precedent for other discos in the coming weeks.
