Electricity supply is one of the predominant development challenges in Nigeria. The sector has struggled for over 93 years since the first utility electricity was established, with little success recorded. Though the giant of Africa, Nigeria seems to have taken the back seat among other African nations, with twelve (12) countries, including Ghana, Gabon, and Senegal topping the chart regarding access to electricity above 80%.
More surprisingly, Zambia, with its 58% access to electricity (as of July 2021), recently announced an end to power rationing in the country, as the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (ZESCO) assured households and companies of 24-hour supply without disruptions. This feat is yet to be achieved in Nigeria, even at 66% access to electricity. Zambia may not be comparable to Nigeria due to certain factors such as land area and population. Nigeria has 81.47% more people than Zambia, which is a significantly smaller consumer base, yet, I believe that Nigeria can glean some insights from Zambia’s electrification strategy.
Research has shown that most of Zambia’s electricity sources are independent (hydro, solar, coal) and is not self-sufficient only in petroleum-based sources. The import of this can be better understood through USAID’s Power Africa Fact Sheet for Zambia which revealed that 85% of Zambia’s electricity generation is hydro-based. Earlier research showed 96% hydro, 2.1% thermal (HFO and diesel), and 1.7% renewable (solar and small hydros).
As of 2014, Zambia had a total installed capacity of 2,451MW with 2,257.5MW contribution from hydropower. The nation projected that by 2019, the installed capacity would increase by 1,172MW for hydro, 0MW for gas and diesel, 50MW for HFO, 15MW for solar and 600MW for coal. At the time of this projection, the electrification rate was at 25%. In July 2022, Lusakatimes reported that the installed hydropower capacity increased to 3,456MW, 1,156MW higher than the national peak demand with an untapped potential of 6,000MW.
The above information shows an incremental progression in the generation capacity of Zambia, especially from clean energy, which accounts for 85% of the electricity generation, and portrays higher feasibility in achieving the global decarbonization goals within set timelines. Unlike Zambia, about 80% of Nigeria’s power comes from fossil fuel (gas and thermal), with a meagre 20% contribution from a cleaner source (hydropower which stands at 2,062MW).
The low contribution of clean energy to the electricity generated in Nigeria is not because of the country’s lack of cleaner energy sources. Nigeria is blessed with vast resources for electricity generation – fossil fuel-based and renewable-based (solar, wind, biomass and hydro). However, these potentials have not been fully harnessed; hence the country has had to scrape by to meet its primary energy needs. Exploring its renewable power potential is one of the significant lessons Nigeria can learn from the Zambian electricity sector.
In 2015, the Federal Executive Council under the Ministry of Power of the Federal Republic of Nigeria approved a National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy (NREEEP). This policy targeted exploring all the potentials of the Nigerian power sector and foresaw a 4,300 MW growth in annual generation capacity. One of the strategies outlined in the policy document was to fully harness the hydropower potential available in the country for electricity generation, paying particular attention to the development of the mini and micro hydropower schemes.
Interestingly, Nigeria’s hydropower has the potential to generate 14,120MW, which is above the total installed generation capacity excluding off-grid and approximately three (3) times the energy that is presently evacuated unto the national grid. Exploiting this source of electricity will not only significantly address the power situation in the country and its associated economic development but also fast-track its pace towards net-zero emission. Nigeria may be a giant, but without taking the right steps through a series of unlearning, learning and relearning, the giant may never be awakened.