By Ere-Ebi Agedah Imisi
When Fredrick traveled from Canada to visit his grandmother in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo state in Nigeria, he was baffled by the community’s daily struggle with electricity shortages. Throughout his stay, he witnessed the household enduring an entire day without power. The silence was pervasive, worsened by the absence of buzzing phones and laptops, drained of battery life. Cold drinks and water were unavailable, and even basic amenities like water taps were affected due to the lack of electricity to pump water.
Across the continent this is the reality according to a latest survey finding from Afrobarometer, a Pan-Africa, non-partisan survey research network that provides reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life, reveling that based on 53,444 face-to-face interviews in 39 African countries, very modest gains in access and connection still leaves a majority of households without reliable electricity.
While experiences vary dramatically by country, on average, fewer than half of households enjoy a reliable supply of electricity, with rural and poor households particularly disadvantaged with regard not only to access and connection, but also to service quality.
The latest Afrobarometer Pan-Africa survey has shed light on the stark reality of energy provision across the continent. Despite some progress, the survey reveals a concerning trend that many African nations continue to grapple with unreliable electricity access, leaving millions in the dark. The survey underscores the urgent need for improved government action to address this critical issue.
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Struggling for Light
The findings paint a sobering picture of the energy landscape in Africa. While approximately two-thirds of Africans live in areas served by an electric grid, only 60% of households are actually connected. Even more alarming is the fact that less than half of African citizens enjoy a reliable supply of electricity that works consistently. This deficit suspiciously affects rural and economically disadvantaged communities so that even if there is power it comes in low current that is almost useless to citizens, stressing a deep-seated inequality in access and service quality.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Linda Nwachukwu, the proprietor of a business center in Abuja, Nigeria, recounted her challenges to Heritage Times (HT). She revealed that she has been compelled to make significant investments in her business due to unreliable power supply. Nwachukwu lamented that out of a typical 10-hour workday, she spends at least 7 hours relying on a generator, which consumes expensive fuel. The escalating cost of fuel has placed her in a precarious financial situation, where she finds herself operating at a loss rather than accruing profit. She emphasized that the struggle has been relentless since the beginning of the year.
In December 2023, Heritage Times (HT) recalls the recurrence of Kenya’s power grid failure, marking the third nationwide blackout within three months hitting the East African nation. According to media sources large parts of Kenya, including the main airport in the capital, Nairobi, a major transport hub connecting East Africa to Asia, Europe and other parts of the world, experienced paralysis as a result of the power outage.
In a comparative survey in Africa, one of the most striking revelations from the survey is the widespread dissatisfaction among citizens regarding their government’s performance on electricity provision. Across the 39 countries surveyed, Malawi, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, less than half of Africans express contentment with their government’s efforts in this critical area. This sentiment emphasizes a growing frustration among populations who continue to struggle with the daily challenges of power outages and inadequate infrastructure.
Electricity Tariff Hike
Furthermore, the survey findings highlight significant disparities between urban and rural areas in terms of electricity access and reliability. While reliable electric service is more common in cities, with 65% of urban households reporting consistent supply, the figure drops to a mere 24% in rural areas.
Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Council (NERC) had in the first week of April jacked up the tariff for B and A consumers with 240 per cent increase for about two million customers across the country, assuring them of at least 20 hours power supply daily, which is also part of moves to stop the payment of subsidy on electricity.
Atiku Abubakar wrote on his X handle recently “The increase in electricity tariff comes at a time when Nigerian citizens are going through excruciating difficulties occasioned by the withdrawal of subsidy on PMS and floating of the domestic currency.
“Our manufacturing sector will similarly be impacted negatively. Not only are they paying higher interest rates on their bank loans but also paying more for diesel, paying higher wages as a result of the new minimum wage. The President’s men are pushing the economy into a deeper crisis. His reforms are without a human face.”
He argued that the rise in tariffs won’t solve the challenges of the sector.
“It is important that we understand the root cause of the inefficiencies in the power sector before unleashing another dose of reforms. It is time to revisit the privatization exercise that produced the DISCOs,” the former vice president said.
In the same vein, an electricity consumer advocacy group in Nigeria, Electricity Consumer Protection Centre, called for the probe of how Distribution Companies spend the operations expenditures (OPEX) and capital expenditure (CAPEX) provided for them in the tariff order approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, (NERC).
The group also rejected the recent increase in electricity tariff for customers in B and A by NERC, insisting the hike was not justified given the poor performance of electricity distribution companies, DisCos, in the past. The Consumer Group said past tariff increases had never led to improved electricity supply in the country.
Stressing that it was wrong for the federal government to continue to approve tariff increases for the DisCos when consumers have never had improved supplies for monies invested in the sector. The group noted that the government needs to keep control over pricing in the sector since the operators have shown little interest in putting money into improving infrastructure and networks.
Call for Action
In the light of the above, there is an urgent call for action from both governments and international stakeholders. It is imperative for African leaders to prioritize energy provision as a fundamental aspect of development, implementing policies and investments that prioritize universal access and reliability. Additionally, increased collaboration and support from the international community are crucial to overcoming the challenges that have long hindered progress in the energy sector.
As Africa strives for economic growth and prosperity, access to reliable electricity remains a cornerstone of development. The Afrobarometer survey serves as a wake-up call, highlighting the pressing need for governments to redouble their efforts in addressing the energy gaps that continue to plague the continent.
