Abuja, Nigeria. July 29th, 2024 – Nigeria’s electricity problem is a perennial and teething problem that has gone on unabated for years without a requisite solution in sight. As a result, Nigerians have continued to grope in darkness due to the challenges bedeviling the power sector in the country.
According to World Bank statistics, 85 million Nigerians do not have access to grid electricity. This is a staggering figure, considering the country’s estimated population of 200 million, and it makes Nigeria a country with the largest energy access deficit in the world. The lack of reliable power is a substantial constraint for citizens and businesses, resulting in annual economic losses estimated at $26.2 billion (₦10.1 trillion) which is equivalent to about 2 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). According to the World Bank Doing Business 2020 report, Nigeria ranks 171 out of 190 countries in getting electricity, and its access is seen as one of the major constraints for the private sector.
Against this backdrop, NOIPolls presents findings from its one-year power poll series. The poll conducted over one year (June 2023 to May 2024), assessed the opinions and perceptions of Nigerians regarding electricity supply to their households. Some 11,000 plus respondents were interviewed across the 36 states and the FCT in the survey within one year.
The results over the last one year (June 2023 to May 2024) is a monthly trend analysis of power supply which showed a greater improvement in power supply in November 2023 while the lowest supply occurred in February 2024 as expressed by 51 percent and 13 percent of Nigerians interviewed, respectively.
Further findings revealed that the highest average cumulative hours of power supply were recorded in November 2023 which stood at 8.9 hours per day, whereas the months of February and April experienced the lowest in terms of average cumulative hours of power supply (4.7 hours per day each) in 2024. This cumulative hourly average recorded in November 2023 is inadequate compared to an ideal 24 hours of power supply which is required for the overall progress and development of the country and its citizenry.
Therefore, to drastically improve the status quo in the electricity sector, experts in this sector need to identify more efficient means of electricity generation. For instance, the use of embedded generation will help eliminate the long distance the power travels to get to the end user and will ultimately improve the supply of electricity. It is, therefore, advised that the Government and stakeholders in the power sector synergise to provide adequate power supply. This is important because the decline in power supply will continue to hamper economic activities, especially of businesses whose operations depend majorly on the power supply.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the poll result revealed that Nigerians experienced better power supply in November 2023 with an average cumulative hours of power supply per day of 8.9 hours between June 2023 and May 2024. This average cumulative hours of power supply to Nigerian households is grossly inadequate for the country and therefore requires urgent attention for improvement. There are challenges experienced in the sector, which include vandalism, theft of equipment, pipe breakage in the case of gas supply, general infrastructure deficit and many others, however it is expected that the stakeholders will surmount these challenges and put the country on track for uninterrupted power supply to foster greater economic development in Nigeria. The government and stakeholders can leverage other forms of power generation like solar, wind, geo-thermal etc, which is the most viable option to ameliorate the power problem in the country.
Disclaimer
This press release has been produced by NOIPolls Limited to provide information on all issues which form the subject matter of the document. Kindly note that while we are willing to share results from our polls with the public, we only request that NOIPolls be acknowledged as authors whenever and wherever our poll results are used, cited, or published. NOIPolls hereby certifies that all the views expressed in this document accurately reflect the views of respondents surveyed for the poll, and background information is based on information from various sources that it believes are reliable; however, no representation is made that it is accurate or complete. Whilst reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document, no responsibility or liability is accepted for errors or facts, or any views expressed herein by NOIPolls for actions taken because of information provided in this report. Any ratings, forecasts, estimates, opinions, or views herein constitute a judgment as of the date of this document. If the date of this document is not current, the views and content may not reflect NOIPolls' current findings and/or thinking.
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I understand this poll is to be the subject of conversation on a radio programme. It would be great if you got in people from all sides of the debate to help Nigerians understand more the impact of power supply - or the lack thereof.