From May 2025 through April 2026, Nigeria’s electricity consumption totaled about 34 TWh. Fossil gas supplied roughly 22 TWh, or almost two-thirds, while low-carbon hydropower provided about 12 TWh, or just over a third. Electricity consumption averaged only 145 kWh per person, compared with the global average of 3,794 kWh—about 4% of that benchmark. Such limited electricity availability can constrain businesses, healthcare, education and household living standards, while making electrification and growing digital services harder to support.

Is Electricity Growing in Nigeria?

Nigeria’s latest figures show that electricity consumption per person remains well below its historical peak, rather than demonstrating sustained growth. The 2026 figure of 145 kWh per person is 42 kWh, or about 22%, below the record of 187 kWh set in 2023. Low-carbon electricity generation is also below its previous high: 51 kWh per person compared with 62 kWh in 2002, a decline of about 18%. These gaps are concerning, although comparisons with record years alone do not establish whether total electricity consumption increased or decreased in the latest year.

Suggestions

Nigeria can increase clean electricity generation by expanding solar power, developing suitable wind resources and preparing a nuclear electricity program, alongside stronger grids and investment in electricity access. South Africa offers a relevant regional example, generating about 20 TWh from solar and 12 TWh each from wind and nuclear. Nigeria could also learn from Pakistan, which generates around 41 TWh from solar and 22 TWh from nuclear, and India, with about 205 TWh of solar and 54 TWh of nuclear electricity. These examples support pursuing both widespread solar deployment and dependable nuclear generation, backed by workforce development, effective institutions and long-term investment. More low-carbon electricity would support economic growth while reducing dependence on fossil fuels and their climate and air-pollution impacts.

History

The supplied history of Nigeria’s low-carbon electricity is entirely about hydropower and shows uneven progress. After a decline of about 0.5 TWh in 1983, several gains of roughly 0.6–0.7 TWh followed during the 1980s, with a larger 1.5 TWh increase in 1991. The 2000s were mixed: generation rose by 2.3 TWh in 2002, but several setbacks followed, including declines of 1.5 TWh in 2006 and 1.2 TWh in 2009. The 2010s brought substantial gains in 2010, 2016 and 2019, interrupted by a 1.3 TWh fall in 2018. More recently, a decline in 2020 was followed by increases of 1.3 TWh in 2022, 2.3 TWh in 2025 and 0.7 TWh in 2026. Those recent gains are encouraging, but sustained expansion across more clean electricity sources is needed to raise supply per person.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

* 12M = Last 12 months (May 2025 – Apr 2026) — a rolling 12-month period, not a calendar year.