Nigeria's Power Sector: A 60-Year Story
For over six decades, Nigeria's power sector has struggled to deliver reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity. Despite vast resources and repeated reforms, millions of people and businesses still face unreliable supply, high energy costs and heavy dependence on diesel generators.
This has constrained economic growth, limited industrial competitiveness and affected the quality of life for households across the country.
This is the problem Energy Metrics Africa was built to solve.
People with unreliable access
Businesses rely on generators
Estimated annual cost of self-generation
Average available grid capacity
Sources: World Bank, IEA, NESI, NERC. Figures are estimates and may vary by year.
Key challenges holding Nigeria back
Unreliable grid supply
Frequent outages and low generation capacity make the grid unpredictable.
High dependence on diesel
Businesses and households rely on expensive generators to meet their energy needs.
Rising operating costs
High energy costs reduce competitiveness and limit business growth.
Lost productivity and opportunity
Unreliable power affects education, healthcare, industries and livelihoods.
A more reliable, inclusive and sustainable energy future is possible.