‘Only 51% of Nigerian homes have electricity access’

Only about half of Nigerian households have access to electricity, the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) has revealed, emphasizing the country’s persistent energy poverty despite years of reform in the power sector.

The survey, jointly conducted by the National Population Commission (NPC) alongside international partners including the Gates Foundation, USAID, UNFPA, UNICEF, and the Global Fund, provided a detailed snapshot of household energy access and usage patterns across the country.

It is the sixth edition of the survey since 1990.

According to the NDHS, just 51 percent of Nigerian households are connected to electricity, leaving nearly half of the population without reliable access to power.

This limitation continues to affect domestic comfort, economic productivity, and access to essential services such as healthcare and education, particularly in rural areas.

The report noted that while 98 percent of the household population reportedly use clean fuels or technologies for lighting, including electricity, solar lanterns, rechargeable lamps, and biogas, the same cannot be said for cooking and heating.

It revealed that only 22 percent of households use clean cooking fuels such as electricity, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), natural gas, biogas, solar, or ethanol.

Urban areas fare significantly better, with 42 percent of households using clean cooking technologies, compared to just 5 percent in rural areas where firewood and charcoal remain dominant.

Similarly, the use of clean fuels for space heating stands at 7 percent nationwide, with urban access (16 percent) far outpacing rural access (4 percent).

Overall, the survey noted that only 22 percent of Nigeria’s household population use clean fuels and technologies across cooking, heating, and lighting.