The Electricity Consumer Protection Advocacy Centre (ECPAC), on Friday, refuted recent claims by Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who asserted that approximately 150 million Nigerians now enjoy adequate electricity access.
Adelabu made the statement during the 2025 Ministerial Sectoral Update Conference held in Abuja on Thursday, crediting Nigeria’s progress to the “Mission 300” initiative. It was a collaborative program by the World Bank and African Development Bank aimed at delivering electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.
But ECPAC is not convinced. The group’s Executive Director, Chief Princewill Okorie, described the minister’s claim as “a lie to Nigerians,” citing inconsistencies and lack of consumer-based data to support the assertion.
“What is the source of that data?” Okorie asked pointedly. “It is not just about quoting figures. What validates that data? As I speak, I don’t have electricity in my house. It came at midnight and was gone in three hours. This kind of deception is exhausting for Nigerians.”
Okorie further criticized the ministry’s alleged detachment from public realities. “Where did the minister carry out the research that gave him such a figure? Has he engaged civil society organisations since he assumed office? We’ve long advocated for a dedicated consumer protection unit within the ministry to bridge this gap between data and lived experience.”
While the minister claims significant progress, official data paints a more modest picture.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its Q2 2024 report, Nigeria had just 12.99 million registered electricity customers, up from 12.33 million in Q1. Additionally, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) reported that only 6.15 million customers had been metered as of September 30, 2024, leaving about 53.85% of registered users unmetered and therefore vulnerable to estimated billing.
The figures further show a gradual increase in electricity customers from 10.37 million in 2020 to 12.99 million in Q2 2024, a positive trend but one that does not correlate with the minister’s sweeping statement that nearly 150 million people have adequate access to power.
“The data being touted by the Minister does not reflect the daily struggles of millions of Nigerians. Having an electricity account does not mean having electricity,” Okorie emphasized.
© Ripples Nigeria
