- NAEE posits Nigeria’s energy is insufficient for Lagos, let alone Nigeria.
- The NAEE president recommends measures to bridge the energy gap.
The Nigerian Association for Energy Economics (NAEE) claims that Nigeria’s electricity generating and distribution systems are insufficient and among the worst in the world, with a daily capacity of only 4,000 MW. Even powering Lagos alone would require more than this, let alone the entire nation. The NAEE President, Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, noted attention to the fact that Nigeria regards electricity as a luxury good and prioritizes urban areas over the requirements of rural individuals and businesses. She underlined the necessity for an all-encompassing strategy for supplying power, saying that every citizen should have access to it and that relying on portable generators shouldn’t be commonplace.
To address the problem of frequent power outages, Omorogbe further emphasized the significance of enhancing the grid infrastructure, building mini-grids, and deploying standalone renewable energy solutions. She objected to the government’s plan to achieve 20,000 MW within a few years, pointing out that Nigeria needed far more electricity to run its businesses and provide for its population. She expressed worry that things had gotten worse over time without sufficient planning or considering the actual electricity demand.
Omorogbe backed the recent elimination of fuel subsidies, claiming pervasive corruption and fraud connected to the subsidy system as justification. To lessen the sufferings endured by Nigerians, she also underlined the need to alleviate the effects of the subsidy reduction. Instead of paying for the consumption of other West African nations at its own expense, she recommended that Nigeria concentrate on being a reliable supplier of petroleum products in the area.
To fulfill Nigeria’s expanding energy needs, the NAEE president advocated for extensive reforms in the power industry that prioritize universal access to electricity, upgrade the grid infrastructure, and investigate renewable energy options.