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. 2023;88(2):1535-1558.
doi: 10.1007/s10708-022-10689-2. Epub 2022 Jul 3.

Keeping the lights On or Off: tracking the progress of access to electricity for sustainable development in Nigeria

Oluwafisayo Alabi  1 , Aisha Abubakar  2 , Astrid Werkmeister  3 , Suki Dauda Sule  3
Affiliations

Keeping the lights On or Off: tracking the progress of access to electricity for sustainable development in Nigeria

Oluwafisayo Alabi et al. GeoJournal. 2023.

Abstract

This paper is focussed on employing satellite night lights (SNLs) to investigate access to electricity across the geographical regions in Nigeria. Specifically, we explore how SNLs interact with human and socioeconomic development indicators (population, poverty, and household consumption) to demonstrate the implications of slow and/or delayed progress in closing the electricity access gap in Nigeria. Our findings suggest that minimal progress has been made and there remains significant evidence of disproportionate spread of electricity across the country with most of the electricity visibility concentrated in the Southern regions, state capitals and industrial centres. Crucially, policy challenges and trade offs emerge. On one hand, is the need to address the long-standing issue of stranded and underutilised assets around power generation, transmission, and distribution and how these balance (or not) against additional and new capacity to enable sufficient, reliable and sustained electricity supply. On the other hand, is the challenge of ensuring that closing the access to electricity gap in Nigeria is done in a way that is just, fair, and equitable, with no part of society becoming worse-off or excluded.

Keywords: Electricity access; Satellite Night lights (SNLs); Satellite imagery; Sustainable development tracking.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interestsThere are no relevant financial or non-financial competing interests to report.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The geographical zones in Nigeria
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Electricity distribution company coverage areas in Nigeria
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
High and Medium Voltage Transmission Line Network in Nigeria
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Total Energy Consumed by DISCOs for January-December 2019
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Detected satellite night lights (SNLs) in Nigeria 2016–2019
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Left: SNLs map from 16/03/20. Right: Nigeria population density map
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
SNLs shown by normalised mean radiance values (unit: 10−8 W/cm2) and MPI for the Nigerian states
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Average SNLs and normalised mean radiances for the six Nigerian geographical zones
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
SNLs mapped the share of total expenditure spent on electricity/fuel for the states. *Borno state is not included in the expenditure survey
Fig. 10
Fig. 10
SNLs mapped the share of total expenditure spent on electricity/fuel for the Nigerian zones
Fig. 11
Fig. 11
Access to electricity from any source for the Nigerian states
Fig. 12
Fig. 12
Primary source of electricity for households with access to electricity in Nigeria
Fig. 13
Fig. 13
Primary source of electricity for households with access to electricity in the different regional zones of Nigeria
Fig. 14
Fig. 14
Total electricity consumption per DISCO zones and the relative cumulative radiance
Fig. 15
Fig. 15
Electricity consumption per household for the Nigerian states
Fig. 16
Fig. 16
Average hours of electricity received per day by states. *Presented for night time periods of 6 pm and 10 pm with the mean radiances normalized to twice their maximum value for clearer representation
Fig. 17
Fig. 17
Average hours of electricity received per day by geo-political zones. *Presented for night time periods of 6 pm and 10 pm with the mean radiances normalized to twice their maximum value for clearer representation
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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