Nigeria ranked low of 150-200 kwh per year in per capita electricity consumption among four African nations; comprising South Africa, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, according to statistics cited by former Minister of Power and Steel, Senator Liyel Imoke.

The statistics show that while Nigeria’s electricity consumption ranks below that of Cote d’Ivoire’s 500-600kwh per year, Ghana and South Africa rank even higher with approximately 800 – 1,000 kwh per year and 4,000 – 5,000 kwh per year, respectively.

The former Minister, who also doubles as former Governor of Cross River State, spoke while delivering a keynote speech at the just concluded 8th Annual Conference and General Meeting AGM of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers GOCOP, in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital entitled: Nigeria: Tackling Insecurity, Power Deficit and Transitioning to Digital Economy”.

He argued that this low consumption reflects challenges in electricity access, infrastructure, and supply in the country.

“Electricity supply in Nigeria remains one of the most significant constraints to economic growth. Since 1999, several power sector reforms have been introduced, yet Nigeria’s electricity generation and distribution remain grossly inadequate.

“With an estimated population of over 220 million, Nigeria’s current installed capacity of around 13,000 mw only manages to deliver 4,000-5,000 mw on average. This is far below the demand of over 20,000 mw, leading to frequent blackouts and reliance on expensive diesel generators”, Imoke said.

This, according to him is more worrisome given the numerous reforms and investments, as the country’s power sector continues to struggle. He further noted that the challenge appears intractable and unresolvable with multiple instances of unfulfilled promises for power delivery.

“As chairman of the technical board of NEPA and subsequently Minister of Power, when I introduced several significant reforms to revitalise the sector and lay the groundwork for the subsequent privatisation and liberalisation of the sector. As with all reform processes, there was strong resistance from entrenched interests. However, we made good progress largely because of the strong political will of President Olusegun Obasanjo, who drafted me to the sector after a six- day total national blackout.

“These key reforms and initiatives include: Electric Power Sector Reform Act EPSRA of 2005, enacted during my tenure, set the legal framework for the unbundling of NEPA and eventual liberalisation of Nigeria’s power sector. The Act paved the way for the unbundling of NEPA into 18 successor companies-six generation companies (GenCos), 11 distribution privatisation companies (DisCos), and one transmission company, Transmission Company of Nigeria TCN.

“We created the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission NERC, the regulatory body to oversee the electricity sector, ensuring proper regulation, tariff setting, and consumer protection. The establishment of the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company NBET to facilitate the purchase of power from GenCos and its sale to DisCos. The eventual privatisation of the DisCos and GenCos, took place after my tenure”, the former Minister also said.

On the way forward, he said: “Reducing Nigeria’s power deficit requires a comprehensive approach that addresses generation, transmission, and distribution constraints. The solutions involve infrastructure investments, regulatory reforms, increased private sector participation, and the adoption of new technologies such as renewable energy and decentralised systems.

“By tackling these challenges holistically, Nigeria can significantly improve its electricity supply, support economic growth, and improve the wellbeing of its citizens.”