Expert seeks more investment in power sector
Lagos, Aug. 2026 (TBL Africa) An energy expert, Mr Daniel Awolaja, has urged the Federal Government and private investors to increase investment in the power sector to boost electricity supply in the country.
Awolaja, founder, AfriEnergy Tracker, made the call in an interview on Friday in Lagos.
He said Nigeria had established several policy instruments, regulatory frameworks and investment opportunities required to transform the electricity sector, but needed stronger implementation and sustained investment.
According to him, achieving sustainable energy access will require greater investment diversification beyond oil and gas, particularly in power generation, transmission and distribution.
Awolaja said electricity demand continued to outpace available supply, forcing millions of Nigerians to depend on petrol- and diesel-powered generators.
He noted that privately owned generators collectively produced several times more electricity than was supplied through the national grid, making them an unofficial component of the country’s electricity system.
The expert called for increased financing for transmission and distribution infrastructure, greater support for decentralised renewable energy systems and long-term energy planning that takes the country’s rapidly growing population into account.
“Nigeria’s energy transition will ultimately depend not only on the quality of its policies but also on its ability to translate those policies into measurable action and sustained investment,” he said.
Awolaja described the nation’s electricity challenge as a paradox characterised by four interconnected realities.
These, he said, include installed generation capacity of about 14 gigawatts, average electricity delivery of roughly five gigawatts, millions of citizens without reliable electricity and widespread reliance on generators.
He identified rapid population growth as one of the major structural factors widening the country’s electricity gap.
“Although investments continue to expand generation capacity, population growth consistently outpaces infrastructure development, resulting in rising electricity demand that exceeds available supply,” he said.
Awolaja said future energy planning must incorporate demographic realities if Nigeria was to achieve universal electricity access.
He called for massive investment in the sector to expand generation, transmission and distribution capacity and bridge the widening gap between electricity demand and supply.
