Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi claimed Nigeria is the lowest per capita consumer of electricity globally, citing data he said showed the country's consumption at 144kWh, below the African average of 617kWh. He made the remarks in a post on X on Saturday, criticizing President Bola Tinubu for failing to deliver on his 2023 campaign promise of constant electricity within four years. Obi noted that power supply has averaged below 4,000 megawatts since Tinubu took office, compared to over 4,000MW in mid-2023, with Nigerians now paying higher tariffs. He also highlighted that Nigeria consumes less electricity than other African nations.
Data from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) shows generation capacity at about 4,901MW, with supply in early 2023 at 4,387.91MW. The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) recorded fluctuations in 2026, with generation dropping to 3,940.53MW on March 5 due to gas supply issues but rising as high as 4,584.40MW. International Energy Agency (IEA) figures confirm Nigeria's per capita consumption at 144kWh, ranking 25th out of 37 African countries and 136th globally. Chad records the lowest in Africa at 14kWh, making Obi's claim of Nigeria being the lowest factually incorrect.
Peter Obi's claim of Nigeria being the world's lowest per capita electricity consumer is off the mark—Chad holds that position. While Nigeria's 144kWh per person is undeniably low and ranks near the bottom in Africa, it is not the worst. The exaggeration risks undermining a real issue: the country's stagnant power sector. For Nigerians enduring prolonged blackouts, misleading claims from opposition figures offer no relief, only noise.
