Data-based Analysis of Power Generation and Transmission Losses in Nigeria

The availability and reliability of power supply are vital to socioeconomic development. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa with electrical power generation that is just a fragment of the energy demands of the populace. In this study, we analyzed the trend of power generation and losses in the Nigerian power system. The average peak power generated over the study period is just 4229.39MW which is approximately 23.5MW per million people. This is meagre when compared with about 500MW per million people in South Africa. Therefore, adequate and sustainable effort are required in terms of investment and management at the generation, transmission and distribution levels toward ensuring improved power supply in Nigeria. There is a need to introduce renewable energy sources into the energy mix at the national level in order to reduce environmental pollution, and also to promote the use of sustainable alternative energy sources at the household and industrial level which will stimulate private sector participation through the establishment of commercial energy farms.