Doris Dokua Sasu
Research Expert Ghana and Nigeria
Renewable energy in Nigeria - statistics & facts
On the basis that Nigeria's costs on renewable energy technologies are reduced, and its planned energy scenario built on existing national policies are implemented, renewable energy in the country is expected to provide close to 60 percent of the nation’s energy demand by 2050. This would stem from the share of renewables in the total installed generation capacity of Nigeria's power sector. In fact, there is a generally rising electricity demand in Nigeria. By extension, the position of the country as the most populous country in Africa puts its sufficiency in electric power supply into question. As of 2022, only about 61 percent of the nation's population had access to electricity. Could renewable energy provide a sustainable solution to this limited energy access and the overall clean energy grid?
Overall, many households lack access to the country’s national energy grid, coupled with lacking and inefficient infrastructure important for the generation, transmission and distribution of renewable energy. However, Nigeria has considerable hydro and solar resources, with the capacity to generate large volumes of hydro and solar power enough to reduce the energy burden on the nation.
Exploiting renewable energy in Nigeria
Currently, power generation in Nigeria is reliant on fossil fuels, mainly natural gas, with renewable energy representing only a fraction of the country’s energy production. This is indeed expected, as the country has one of the largest natural gas reserves in Africa. While gas accounts for the largest origin of electricity produced in the country, hydropower sources are also rising but are often untapped. Similarly, solar energy production has not been fully explored. In 2022, the country registered a hydropower output of over 9,200 gigawatt hours, while solar energy production stood at only 151 gigawatt hours. Moreover, in terms of capacity, renewables represented nearly 21 percent of Nigeria’s electric power capacity as of 2023. Although this represented a sharp rise, the preceding decade was marked by a steadily decreasing trend, further showcasing the potential for developments in the country’s renewables sector and efficient energy transition processes. Only then would the country reach a more renewable-inclusive energy generation and supply.Bioenergy in demand
Bioenergy is a renewable energy derived from biological sources such as plants and animal waste. Nigeria’s energy demand has mainly been dominated by bioenergy sources, similar to the situation in Africa. Nonetheless, this paradigm is often expected to shift, with focus on fossil fuels that would provide a more efficient energy source. The maximum net production capacity of power plants and other installations that use bioenergy sources to generate electricity in Nigeria increased over the last years, reaching 21 megawatts in 2023. In the same way, in terms of electricity production from bioenergy, the volume rose to 61,000 megawatt hours in 2022, from only 19,000 megawatt hours as of 2014. Moreover, traditional biomass resources, namely wood and charcoal, form a central part of household energy use. Specifically, agricultural crop residues, a relatively more sustainable option in the energy mix, occupy a larger part of the country’s biomass resources. However, a more modern bioenergy management and use is important for Nigeria to achieve transformed energy systems.Renewables in consumption
The residential sector makes up the largest proportion of Nigeria's electricity consumption, largely driven by traditional biomass resources like firewood. Besides this sector, the transport and industrial sectors also occupy a notable space in the country’s final energy consumption. However, renewables contribute the least to the country's energy consumption, compared to energy sources such as petroleum and natural gas.Overall, many households lack access to the country’s national energy grid, coupled with lacking and inefficient infrastructure important for the generation, transmission and distribution of renewable energy. However, Nigeria has considerable hydro and solar resources, with the capacity to generate large volumes of hydro and solar power enough to reduce the energy burden on the nation.
