Annual electricity production in Nigeria 2020-2021

Nearly 36.4 thousand gigawatt hours of electricity were generated in Nigeria in 2021, up from around 35.7 thousand gigawatt 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 2020, 22 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 2020, more than 55 percent of Nigeria's population had access to electricity. Since 2011, the population with electricity access has kept stable at around 50 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 (GENCOS) in the country have supplied over 30,000 gigawatt hours of power since 2017. For instance, in 2021, GENCOS distributed approximately 35,700 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 84 million U.S. dollars in 2020.