Annual electricity production in Nigeria 2000-2023
Over 40 terawatt hours of electricity were generated in Nigeria in 2023, up from around 35 terawatt hours in the previous year. Notable producing companies in the country include Egbin and Azura-Edo. Fossil fuels form a major part of the overall production. In 2023, 32.3 terawatt hours of electricity were from fossils. That year, gas and hydro sources accounted for the largest share of the fossil fuel power generation.
Lack of electricity despite unceasing annual supply
As of 2022, close to 61 percent of Nigeria's population had access to electricity. Since 2011, the population with electricity access has kept stable at around 50 to 60 percent. The absence of electricity is most visible among households in the North-East and North-Central zones, contrary to those in the South-East and South-South regions. Nonetheless, to ensure continuous electricity use, generating companies (DiSCos) in the country supply over 19,000 gigawatt hours of power every year on average, since 2021. For instance, in 2023, DisCos distributed approximately 24,000 gigawatt hours of electrical energy to the population.
The country exports electricity
Despite the high electricity demand in Nigeria, the country exports a proportion of the energy it produces to other countries. For instance, in 2019, electrical power exports to Benin and Niger reached around 1,300 gigawatt hours and one thousand gigawatt hours, respectively. Overall, Nigeria’s revenue from electricity exports amounted to approximately 156 million U.S. dollars in 2022.
