Nigerian households experience an average of 6.7 electricity blackouts weekly, with each outage lasting 12 hours.
This is according to the latest findings from the General Household Survey Panel (Wave 5) conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in collaboration with the World Bank.
The report, which surveyed 4,715 households across Nigeria, highlights significant challenges in energy access, particularly in rural areas where electricity infrastructure remains sparse.
Power outages are a nationwide issue, with minimal variation between urban and rural households. Urban households face an average of 6.4 blackouts per week, each lasting about 12 hours, while rural households endure 6.9 outages weekly, with each lasting 12.1 hours.
Regional differences reveal that southern zones report longer blackout durations exceeding 12 hours, whereas northern zones experience shorter outages lasting less than 11 hours.
The report read: “On average, a Nigerian household experiences electricity blackouts 6.7 times per week. Each outage lasts 12.0 hours on average, leading to a total of 67.2 hours of blackouts over seven days. There are no significant differences between urban and rural households.
“Urban areas face an average of 6.4 blackouts per week, each lasting about 12.0 hours. Similarly, rural households experience frequent blackouts, averaging 6.9 occurrences per week, with each lasting approximately 12.1 hours. However, southern zones report longer duration of typical blackouts (more than 12 hours) while northern zones report shorter blackouts (less than 11 hours).”
53.6% of Nigerian households have electricity access
The survey highlights significant disparities in electricity access and supply reliability.
Approximately 53.6% of Nigerian households report having access to electricity, with urban households enjoying significantly higher access at 82.2%, compared to 40.4% in rural areas.
At the regional level, the South East zone boasts the highest electrification rate at 74.6%, while the North East lags behind at just 29.5%.
Despite relatively higher urban access, the quality of supply remains a pressing issue nationwide, as households across the country contend with frequent power interruptions.
The Power Holding Company of Nigeria/Nigerian Electric Power Authority (PHCN/NEPA) remains the dominant source of electricity, serving 88.2% of households with access to power.
However, reliance on the national grid is complemented by alternative sources such as generators (2.8%), solar home systems (2.8%), and local mini-grids (2.6%), which collectively account for a marginal share of the energy supply landscape.
The report read: “Approximately one in two Nigerian households reports having access to electricity. The national average is 53.6 per cent, with a remarkable contrast between urban (82.2 per cent) and rural households (40.4 per cent). At the zonal level, the South East zone has the highest electrification rate at 74.6 per cent, while the North East lags behind at 29.5 per cent.
“The Power Holding Company of Nigeria/Nigerian Electric Power Authority (PHCN/NEPA) is the dominant source of electricity nationwide, with an average coverage of 88.2 per cent of the households with access to electricity. Alternative sources, such as generators (2.8 per cent), solar home systems (2.8 per cent), and local mini-grids (2.6 per cent), constitute a much smaller share, underscoring the reliance on the national grid for electricity supply.”
What you should know
- About two weeks ago, the national grid collapsed once, plunging the country into widespread darkness.
- Reports indicated that this marked the tenth grid collapse in 2024, an unprecedented frequency of such incidents.
- The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) announced that a sudden spike in frequency, rising from 50.33Hz to 51.44Hz, led to a disruption in the national grid.
- According to TCN in an official statement, the frequency increase stemmed from technical issues at one of its substations, which was shut down to prevent further complications.
- Also, the Federal Government, through the National Orientation Agency (NOA), attributed the frequent collapse of the national grid which results in nationwide blackouts to the inability of electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to take power generated.
- The NOA explained that while the country has the capacity to generate approximately 13,000 MW of electricity and transmit up to 8,000 MW, the limited infrastructure of DisCos results in system failures.