Renewable energy experts and civil society groups have raised fresh concerns over Nigeria’s deepening electricity crisis, warning that the country’s power generation remains grossly inadequate for its population and economic ambitions. They said Nigeria’s national grid currently generates about 5,000 megawatts for over 200 million people, translating to roughly 24.5 watts per person, barely enough to power a light bulb.
The experts disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday following a media roundtable organised by the Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation in collaboration with the Secure Energy Project and Power Shift Africa. They said the current level of power supply was grossly inadequate and incapable of supporting meaningful economic growth.
The Nigeria Campaign Director for the Secure Energy Project and member of the Solar Power Nigeria Coalition, Joseph Ibrahim, said the situation highlights the severity of energy poverty in the country. He described the situation as a major constraint on national development.
He said, “Today we are facing a stark reality that despite being a nation of over 200 million people full of ambition and enterprise, our national grid generates only about 5,000 megawatts, which translates to just about 24.5 watts for an average Nigerian citizen.
“So, if you put that in perspective, it simply means we have power that is just sufficient enough to light up a bulb. That is the level of energy available to an average Nigerian.” Ibrahim linked the country’s persistent energy poverty to slow economic growth and limited productivity, noting that about 85 million Nigerians still lack access to electricity.
“This is why millions of Nigerians are still living in the dark. Energy is more than electricity; it is the ability to do work. When a nation lacks energy, it lacks the capacity to grow,” he said. He noted that solar energy has increasingly become a lifeline for businesses and households, particularly in the face of unreliable grid supply.
“For a small barbershop in Kano or a tech startup in Lagos, solar is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity,” he added. Ibrahim, however, cautioned against moves to impose an outright ban on the importation of solar panels, warning that such a policy could worsen energy access challenges if not properly implemented.
He said the government should engage in phased banning within a period of three to five years. “We are not against local manufacturing of solar panels. What we are saying is that we want to see lights in our homes and productivity in our economy. Building a manufacturing industry is like planting a forest.
You cannot just command trees to grow; you must prepare the soil. That means stable policies, access to finance, and strong quality standards. “We believe the best way forward is not a sudden shut-door policy, but a phased roadmap over the next three to five years.
If we rush this, we risk making solar power too expensive for the millions who currently rely on it for survival,” he said. He noted that by taking a phased approach, it will allow time for investors to build their plants, workers to learn specialised skills, and for Nigeria’s economy to adjust without losing power.