Electricity in Niger in 2023
As of 2023, Niger's electricity consumption remains critically low, with imports accounting for over 1 TWh to supplement its meager domestic generation. Nearly all of Niger's electricity relies on fossil fuels, with close to none derived from low-carbon sources like solar, wind, or nuclear. This heavy dependence on imported and fossil-based electricity results in a total consumption per capita that is far below the global average of 3813 watts per person, significantly hampering economic growth, access to healthcare, and educational development in the region. This situation underscores the urgent need for Niger to diversify its electricity sources toward more sustainable options that are less susceptible to external disruptions and less harmful to the environment.
Suggestions
Niger can take significant strides toward increasing its low-carbon electricity generation by investing in solar energy, which has proven successful in similar climate regions, as seen with India, which generates over 130 TWh from solar energy. Furthermore, lessons can be drawn from Brazil's success with wind power, yielding over 100 TWh, showing the potential for scalable clean energy solutions. While nuclear energy infrastructure requires a substantial initial investment, countries like Sweden and Finland demonstrate its capacity to produce a sizable portion of low-carbon electricity consistently. Implementing similar programs could drastically improve Niger's electricity generation capacity, reduce dependency on fossil fuels, and contribute to combating climate change.
History
Historically, Niger's contribution to low-carbon electricity generation has been stagnant, with no measurable increase from solar energy from 2005 to 2023. This lack of progression highlights a missed opportunity and a critical area for development. During these years, solar technologies have advanced and become more cost-effective globally, making the absence of any change in Niger a growing concern. This stagnation emphasizes the necessity for strategic planning and investment to harness Niger's ample sunshine and other clean resources. The persistent reliance on fossil-based electricity, despite the global push for clean energy, indicates an urgent need for policy shifts and international cooperation to help bolster Niger's low-carbon electricity infrastructure and delivery systems.
Electrification
We estimate the degree of electrification by comparing electricity and total energy emissions. More about methodology.