Only 80 Million Nigerians Have Access to Electricity, Millions Still Without Power

The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has disclosed that only about 80 million Nigerians currently have access to electricity, underscoring the urgent need to accelerate power supply to underserved rural communities through renewable energy and decentralised electricity projects.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Abba Aliyu, made the disclosure while receiving a delegation from the Zanzibar Utilities Regulatory Authority (ZURA), which visited Nigeria to exchange knowledge on electricity regulation, system dispatch and grid stability.

Aliyu said that although Nigeria still faces a significant electricity access gap, the country has continued to make progress despite its large and rapidly growing population.

He described electricity as the foundation of national development, stressing that reliable power supply remains essential to improving healthcare, education, agriculture, industrialisation and overall economic growth.

"Electricity will determine how health services will be done, how education will be done, how agriculture will be done and how everything is going to be. That is why we call it the electrification of everything," he said.

The REA boss noted that electricity demand is rising rapidly across the world, driven by three major factors: population growth, the electrification of critical sectors of the economy, and the increasing use of artificial intelligence and data centres.

According to him, these global trends are fundamentally changing how countries plan and invest in electricity infrastructure.

"These three reasons are changing the demand for electricity. Whether we are ready in Africa or not, electricity is going to change every single thing that we do," Aliyu said.

He explained that the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence technologies and data centres would continue to increase global electricity consumption, making investments in energy infrastructure even more critical.

Aliyu also pointed to major global investments in clean energy, noting that the European Union has committed about 150 billion dollars to net-zero manufacturing and renewable energy infrastructure.

He further cited China's massive investment in electricity generation, referencing the Three Gorges Dam as one of the world's largest power generation facilities and an example of the scale of investment required to meet future energy demand.

Also speaking during the visit, Director of Stakeholder Management at the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr Maryam Yaya Abubakar, highlighted reforms aimed at expanding off-grid electricity access through mini-grid development.

She explained that Nigeria's regulatory framework allows the development of interconnected mini-grids of up to 10 megawatts and isolated mini-grids of up to five megawatts, creating opportunities for private sector participation in rural electrification.

According to her, the regulatory environment has encouraged the emergence of Renewable Energy Service Companies (RESCOs), many of which have evolved from engineering contractors into independent electricity developers and operators.

She said Nigeria now has more than 1,350 mini-grids across the country and over 150 registered RESCOs, with some Nigerian firms already providing renewable energy services in other African countries.

Abubakar also revealed that Nigeria is expanding domestic manufacturing of solar energy equipment as part of efforts to reduce dependence on imported photovoltaic (PV) panels.

She said the country is on course to add 3.7 gigawatts of local solar manufacturing capacity by the end of next year, noting that some solar panels produced in Nigeria have already been exported to neighbouring Ghana.

According to her, the government is encouraging Chinese manufacturers and other international investors to establish production facilities in Nigeria to strengthen local capacity, create jobs and support the country's clean energy transition.

The REA and NERC officials said expanding electricity access, particularly in rural communities, remains central to Nigeria's strategy for driving inclusive economic development and achieving long-term energy security.