Niger’s electricity consumption in 2023 was just 77 kWh per person, compared with a global average of about 3,800 kWh—roughly 2% of that benchmark. Net electricity imports amounted to 1.21 TWh, an important contribution to supply. Domestic low-carbon electricity generation was close to none, at just 1 kWh per person. The supplied data do not identify domestic fossil-fuel generation or the sources of imported electricity, so a complete low-carbon versus fossil electricity breakdown is not possible. Such low electricity availability can constrain healthcare, education, irrigation and business activity, making expanded access to clean electricity essential for development.

Is Electricity Growing in Niger?

Electricity consumption in Niger has not surpassed its previous peak. The 2023 figure of 77 kWh per person was 7 kWh, or about 8%, below the record of 84 kWh reached in 2018. Low-carbon electricity generation also showed no improvement over its historic record: it remained at 1 kWh per person, matching 2018. These comparisons indicate disappointing stagnation in clean generation and a decline in consumption relative to the peak, although they do not establish whether consumption fell specifically between 2022 and 2023. Niger needs sustained electricity growth to support wider access and future demand from electrification and digital services.

Suggestions

Niger can increase low-carbon electricity generation by prioritizing solar projects, including both grid-connected plants and local systems serving communities, schools and clinics. Relevant examples include South Africa, with about 20 TWh of solar electricity, and sunny Pakistan, with about 41 TWh; their experience can inform procurement, workforce training and grid expansion. Wind could complement solar where local resource assessments identify suitable sites, drawing on South Africa’s roughly 12 TWh of wind generation. Niger should also consider developing a long-term nuclear electricity pathway through international partnerships, technical training and institutional preparation. Pakistan’s roughly 22 TWh of nuclear generation and the United Arab Emirates’ 32 TWh demonstrate how nuclear can provide substantial clean electricity alongside solar. Together, these sources can expand supply while reducing reliance on fossil fuels and their climate and air-pollution impacts.

History

The supplied history of Niger’s low-carbon electricity shows little recorded momentum in solar generation. Every listed year from 2005 through 2010 reported a change of 0 TWh, as did every year from 2013 through 2023. These figures indicate no measurable annual increase at the precision provided, rather than proving that solar generation itself was zero. Changes for 2011 and 2012 are not supplied. Overall, the record points to prolonged stagnation rather than sustained expansion, underscoring the need to turn Niger’s solar potential into much greater clean electricity production.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade