Only 3 in 5 Nigerians have access to electricity — one of the lowest rates for a country of this size and economic standing. The gap between urban and rural access remains wide.
National Access Rate
61.2%
of total population (2023)
Rural Access
32.9%
rural population only
Urban Access
~89%
urban population
World Average
87.5%
global access rate (2023)
86.6 million Nigerians have no electricity
Nigeria has the largest electricity access deficit in the world — ahead of DR Congo (79.6M) and Ethiopia (56.4M).
Access to electricity in Nigeria is not evenly distributed. Where you live — city or village, south or north — largely determines whether you have power at all.
have electricity access
have electricity access
have electricity access (Statista 2022)
Worst affected: Households in the northeast and northwest zones are the most electricity-deprived regions in Nigeria — and as a result, they also reported owning the fewest electrical appliances in 2020.
Nigeria has enough installed capacity on paper, but chronic gas supply shortages, transmission losses, and ageing equipment mean the grid routinely delivers less than a third of what it theoretically could.
Total Generated (2023)
40.7TWh
total electricity produced
Installed Capacity
12,522MW
grid-connected nameplate
Available Capacity
6,056MW
dependable capacity
Actual Dispatch (2023)
4,540MW
average daily generation
Power Sector CO₂ (2023)
21.3Mt
CO₂e from electricity generation
Installed vs. Actual Capacity
Nigeria uses only ~34% of its installed capacity daily due to gas supply shortages, grid constraints, and aging infrastructure.
Nigeria's grid runs almost entirely on two sources — natural gas and hydropower. Renewable alternatives like solar and wind remain a tiny fraction despite the country's immense natural potential.
Gas plants (installed)
8,457 MW
Hydro plants (installed)
1,938 MW
Untapped hydro potential
14,120 MW
Small hydro developed
60.58 MW (1.7%)
Hydropower dominates Nigeria's renewable portfolio, but solar is growing fast. Wind and biomass are still in early stages. Given Nigeria's high solar radiation, the gap between potential and deployment is striking.
Hydropower
~2,100MW
dominant renewable source
Solar PV
112MW
up from 16 MW in 2014 (+600%)
Wind
10MW
Katsina Wind Farm — first in Nigeria
Biomass
~200MW
agricultural waste-based plants
Solar radiation potential
5.5 kWh/m²/day
average across Nigeria — among highest globally
Off-grid solar homes served
2M+
households reached via solar home systems
REMP Targets (Renewable Energy Master Plan): Raise renewables from 13% (2015) → 23% by 2025 → 36% by 2030. At <1% today, Nigeria is significantly off track.
A few notable developments are reshaping Nigeria's power landscape — new capacity coming online, ageing plants being upgraded, and a landmark law that could change how electricity is governed for good.
Zungeru Hydropower Plant — online June 2023
700 MW capacity — now Nigeria's second-largest power plant. Located in Niger State on the Kaduna River.
Kainji Hydropower Plant — rehabilitation ongoing
Nigeria's largest hydro plant (760 MW) is being upgraded to 980 MW by 2027 as part of a federal rehabilitation programme.
Electricity Act 2023 — market decentralisation
New law allows states to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity independently. Lagos State is leading efforts to build a grid-independent electricity market.
Each Nigerian uses roughly 165 kWh of electricity per year — about what a single refrigerator in the United States consumes. The comparison to peer nations puts the scale of the gap in stark perspective.
Nigeria's per capita consumption is 21× below the world average.
Unlike most developing economies — where factories drive demand — Nigerian households are the dominant electricity consumers, using over four times more than industry. This reflects limited industrial activity and high reliance on electricity for everyday life.
59,000
terajoules
≈ 16,389 GWh
<14,000
terajoules
≈ <3,889 GWh
Unlike most developing economies, Nigeria's residential sector consumes far more electricity than industry — reflecting low industrial output and high household dependence on electricity for basic needs.
Access has more than doubled since 1990, but the pace has slowed dramatically in recent years. Nigeria is falling further behind the world average, not catching up.
61.2%
access in 2023 — up from 27.3% in 1990
87.5%
world average
Progress is slowing — growth dropped from +4.1pp in 2021 to +0.7pp in 2023. At this rate, universal access would take over 50 years.
The physical backbone of Nigeria's grid — transmission lines, power plants, and distribution networks — is stretched thin. Losses, underinvestment, and rapidly growing demand all compound the challenge.
Transmission Lines
20,000km
high-voltage network
Transmission Loss
7.4%
above developing avg. of 2–6%
Grid Power Plants
23
connected to national grid
Electricity Exports (2022)
>$155M
revenue from Benin & Niger
Investment Needed
$1T
over 30 years (sector estimate)
Demand Growth
7%/yr
projected annual growth
Top Distributors (Q2 2024)
Ikeja & Eko
highest revenue contribution to distribution
Nigeria's official electricity tariff is among the cheapest in the world — but low prices mask a painful reality. Frequent outages push households and businesses to spend far more on generators and alternative sources.
₦51
per kWh
≈ $0.03 USD / kWh
₦66
per kWh
≈ $0.04 USD / kWh
How Nigeria compares globally (USD / kWh, household)
Context: Nigeria's tariff is among the world's lowest, but frequent outages force households and businesses to spend far more on diesel generators and batteries — making the true cost of electricity one of the highest in Africa.
Source: Statista, March 2025
Nigeria has set ambitious goals for 2030 through its 30:30:30 Energy Plan and Renewable Energy Master Plan. Based on current progress, the country is significantly behind on both capacity and clean energy targets.
30:30:30 Energy Plan
Currently at 4,540 MW dispatch — 15% of target
Currently <1% — REMP targets 36% by 2030 (also off track)
Mission 300 — World Bank & AfDB Initiative
A joint initiative targeting electricity access for 300 million Africans by 2030, with over $90 billion in funding pledged. Nigeria is among the priority countries. The IEA projects 645 million people globally will still lack electricity in 2030 — 85% in Sub-Saharan Africa — making this initiative critical.
Data sourced from Our World in Data, Statista, IEA, World Bank, NESO & Ember. Numbers are approximate.