Fact Check: Is Nigeria Really the Lowest Per Capita Electricity Consumer as Claimed by Peter Obi?

The Labour Party's presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has alleged that Nigeria ranks as the lowest per capita consumer of electricity globally. He expressed this assertion while criticizing President Bola Tinubu concerning his unfulfilled promises related to power supply.

On his Twitter (now X) account, Obi stated: "Tinubu in Jos confirms ‘Don’t vote for me’ prediction on power supply. During the 2023 campaign, President Tinubu made a clear electoral pledge: ‘If I fail to provide consistent electricity in four years, don’t reelect me for a second term.’ When he assumed office in 2023, the country had a power supply exceeding 4,000 megawatts alongside reduced tariffs.

He continued, "As of today, the electricity output averages below 4,000 megawatts, with Nigerians facing increased tariffs. Nigeria currently shows the lowest per capita electricity consumption worldwide, at less than 30% of the continental average. While Africa's average is 617kWh, Nigeria stands at 144kWh, indicating that Nigerians utilize less electricity than other Africans. At a time when citizens are suffering through prolonged power outages, our leaders are unable to manage without it for even a few minutes."

By the time this fact check was conducted, Obi's post had attracted more than 533,000 views, accumulating 24,900 likes, 14,400 reposts, 1,343 replies, and 696 bookmarks.

Nigeria has historically faced challenges with inconsistent electricity supply, often linked to issues like insufficient gas provision, transmission problems, and a lack of infrastructure.

To verify Obi's significant claim, Daily Trust sought to determine its accuracy using available official data.

Data sourced from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) indicated that the electricity supply was recorded at 4,387.91 megawatts in the second quarter of 2023, coinciding with the period President Tinubu took office.

The regulatory body also acknowledged an available generation capacity of approximately 4,901 megawatts in its latest factsheet.

Additionally, data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) shows that as of April 3, 2026, power output fluctuated between a low of 4,071.74 megawatts and a high of 4,584.40 megawatts. It is noteworthy that electricity generation has occasionally dipped below the 4,000-megawatt mark. For example, on March 5, 2026, total generation dropped to 3,940.53 megawatts at 5:00 a.m. due to ongoing gas supply issues impacting thermal power facilities.

NISO attributed these decreases to continuous fuel supply struggles, noting that several power generation stations were operating below their capacity.

A review of the per capita electricity consumption reveals that available information from the International Energy Agency (IEA) stated that Africa's per capita energy consumption was at 617 kWh, which aligns with Obi’s claim. Libya holds the highest per capita electricity usage at 3,796 kWh, while Chad has the least at 14 kWh, contradicting Obi's assertion that Nigerians consume less than their African counterparts.

According to the 2023 IEA dataset, Nigeria ranks 25th out of 37 African countries for electricity use per capita, with a mere 0.144 MWh per person (144 kWh), placing it in the lower echelons of the continent.

This performance is significantly lower than leading nations such as Libya (3.796 MWh) and South Africa (3.247 MWh), as well as moderate producers like Ghana (0.565 MWh) and Senegal (0.410 MWh). Conversely, Nigeria is closely aligned with countries having lower usage, including Kenya (0.190 MWh) and Tanzania (0.135 MWh).

Globally, Nigeria stands at 136th position, while Tanzania and Burkina Faso follow at 137th and 138th respectively.

In conclusion, while the claim regarding electricity generation dipping below 4,000 MW under Tinubu is somewhat misleading, as there have been fluctuations around that figure, the assertion that Nigeria possesses the lowest per capita electricity consumption globally, along with the statement that Nigerians consume less electricity than others in Africa, is FALSE.