About 59.3 percent of Nigerians had access to electricity in 2016 compared to 40.8 percent of people which did as at 2010

ELECTRICITY access in Nigeria improved from 40.8 per cent in 2010 to 59.3 per cent in 2016, according to the World Bank in its “Year in Review: 2018 in 14 Charts,” released recently.

This is despite the epileptic supply consumers have often faced.

The Bretton Woods institution says access to power in the country is improved at an annual rate of 1.88 per cent in the period, which it considered low when compared to peers. For instance, neighbouring Ghana has an annual access rate of 2.38 percent from 65 percent in 2010 to 79.3 in 2016.

However, a November 2018 update on electricity access by USAID Africa Power Project, says access rate was 45 per cent (Rural: 36% Urban: 55%), indicating access rate has fallen by 14 per cent in the last two years.

Nigeria, the largest economy in sub-Saharan Africa, has had constrained growth due to limitations in the power supply despite being endowed with large oil, gas, hydro and solar resource.

It currently has the potential to generate 12,522 megawatts (MW) of electric power from existing plants, but most days is only able to generate around 4,000 MW, which is insufficient.

The country’s installed generating capacity of 12,522 MW, including thermal 10,142 MW, Hydro 2,380 MW

The World Bank specifically said about 118 million people in the world gain electricity access each year, and that electricity access has been accelerating since 2010, with 40 countries achieving universal access since 2010.

Some of the strongest gains were in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania. All increased their electricity access rate by 3 per cent or more annually between 2010 and 2016. Over the same period, India provided electricity to 30 million people annually – more than any other country.

It however, stated that roughly 1 billion people – or 13 percent of the world’s population – still live without electricity with the biggest gaps in sub-Saharan Africa and Central and South Asia.

“Almost 87 per cent of the world’s population without electricity lives in rural areas. The gaps are daunting, but there is also progress on many fronts. New large-scale approaches that combine grid and off-grid electrification have contributed to impressive gains in energy access in many countries,” the World Bank noted.

The multilateral institution said mini-grids and solar home systems are showing promise in closing the access gap in others while lower costs for clean energy are aiding this transition. – Independent

– Jan. 9, 2019 @ 14:48 GMT |