Nigeria is intensifying its push towards renewable energy while defending its controversial practice of exporting electricity to neighbours despite millions of citizens lacking reliable power.
Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) Director-General Mustafa Abdullahi told Channels Television that just six per cent of output goes to countries like Benin Republic, describing it as “strategic” to avoid disputes over shared dams and waterways.
“We cannot share rivers and waterways with a country and not give them electricity out of goodwill,” he said, adding that refusing could trigger damaging infrastructure conflicts.
Abdullahi revealed that 60 per cent of Nigerians now have access to power, up from 4,000 megawatts in 2023 to 6,000 today, but admitted: “We’re not there yet, but our policies and vision will get us there.”
He blamed outages on decrepit transmission lines and an over-reliance on gas and hydro, promising to “solarise almost the entire country” and diversify the energy mix.
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Under the new Electricity Act, states can generate, distribute and regulate power, though most are starting with modest five-megawatt pilot projects due to capacity constraints.
An energy audit found 86 per cent of supply still comes from gas, 12 per cent from hydro and only a “few” from renewables, prompting calls for efficiency upgrades in homes and offices.
Abdullahi defended the unpopular Band A/B billing system as a temporary measure, saying it would vanish once renewable output rises: “Electricity is not cheap anywhere in the world – the holidays need to end for Nigerians.”
He also touted electric vehicles, boasting that the commission no longer buys petrol cars and offers free public charging to prove “it’s possible” to break dependence on fossil fuels.
