In a nation where the average electricity generation capacity is 5,472MW and distribution capacity is 7,332,949.05GWh, discussing the ‘highest supply’ may sound ironic. However, despite the country’s dismal state of electricity supply, some consumers still get energy on average more than their compatriots in other states. Many factors go into considering where most of the energy in the country go to. These factors are socio-economic, industrialisation, population, economic power/activity. States with a higher population, industrial activity, and purchasing power tend to be supplied more regularly than others.
Others are technical; distance from generating plants, the number of households connected to the grid, distribution infrastructure. States in the far north tend to be supplied electricity on average less frequently than states in the south, as transmission losses are not as much. These factors combine to render most states and areas prisoners of inadequate power supply.
Here is a list of the states with the highest power supply
Based on DisCos billing for the 2nd quarter of 2021, the states likely to have been supplied the most are:
- Lagos: Supplied by two distribution companies (EKEDC and IKEDC), Africa’s foremost financial centre and economic hub received 1,946.28GWh of electricity and 1,742.65GWh was distributed. This figure recorded is over two times the amount allocated by the second DisCo on this list.
- FCT: The nation’s capital territory comes second in terms of electricity supplied. The FCT receives over 50% of the total energy provided by AEDC. Its total energy received was 985GWh, and it distributed 648GWh.
- Oyo: The state receives electricity from IBEDC. This DisCo received 921.63GWh and billed 639.89GWh. Therefore, it is safe to assume that Oyo received a sizeable amount of electricity from IBEDC.
- Edo: One wouldn’t have guessed that BEDC would come fourth place due to its past records. However, from NERC’s report, BEDC received 647.79GWh of electricity and billed 541.19GWh to its franchise areas, of which Edo received the highest.
- Enugu: Being the headquarters of a DisCo has its perks. Enugu continues to benefit from this as it is served by the 480GWh-billing by the Enugu electricity distribution company.
- Kaduna: The headquarters and largest economy under the Kaduna Electric franchise area is bound to receive the lion’s share of the 442GWh billed.
- Rivers: Home to three power generation plants, Rivers sadly comes in 7th place among the states receiving the most electricity. Electric power is supplied by Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC), and it received 528.27GWh and distributed 408.24GWh, with Rivers state receiving a majority of the distributed power
- Kano: The second-largest city after Lagos, is served by Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDC). The utility over the last year received 486.72GWh and billed a total of 348.77GWh, with Kano receiving the larger quota.
- Plateau: The coldest state in Nigeria receives electricity from Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC). Despite being the coldest region, the state received 348.96GWh and distributed 236.87GWh of electric power.
It is important to note that despite these allocations, the hours of power supply availability is greatly determined by the state’s population.