Nigeria has once again ranked as the country with the largest electricity access deficit globally, with 86.8 million Nigerians lacking electricity in 2023, according to the World Bank’s 2025 Energy Progress Report released this week.
This marks the third consecutive year the country has held that position, underscoring the persistent energy poverty in Africa’s largest economy despite repeated promises and reforms by successive administrations.
The findings directly contradict claims by the Nigerian government, particularly a statement by the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, in April 2025, who insisted that “about 150 million Nigerians currently enjoy electricity supply.” The World Bank data not only disputes that figure but also shows that access has declined.
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According to the report, only 61% of Nigeria’s population had access to electricity in 2023, a less than one percent increase to 60.5% in 2022, and less than the figure cited by the minister. With Nigeria’s estimated population of about 223 million in 2023, this means roughly 86.8 million people remained without electricity, above any official government admission.
The World Bank report, titled “Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report 2025,” is a collaborative publication by the World Bank, the International Energy Agency (IEA), and other UN agencies. It tracks global progress on Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), which aims to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy by 2030.
It highlights a troubling reversal in Nigeria’s energy access trajectory. Rather than improving, access to electricity has stagnated or declined, and analysts say population growth is outpacing new connections.
“In 2023, 18 of the 20 countries with the largest electricity access deficits were in Sub-Saharan Africa. Once again, Nigeria (86.8 million), the Democratic Republic of Congo (79.6 million), and Ethiopia (56.4 million) topped the list,” the report said.
Population Growth Worsening the Gap
While 35 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa reportedly gained access to electricity in 2023, the region’s population also grew by about 30 million, resulting in a net improvement of just 5 million people. In Nigeria’s case, the situation is more concerning, as the number of those without access to electricity has recorded a small increase compared to the previous year.
The World Bank warned that Sub-Saharan Africa now accounts for 85% of the global population without electricity, a jump from 50% in 2010, with Nigeria alone contributing more than 15% of that global shortfall.
Clean Cooking and Energy Poverty
The energy poverty crisis extends beyond electricity. The report notes that in 2023, only 26% of Nigerians had access to clean cooking energy, meaning the vast majority still rely on firewood, charcoal, and other harmful fuels for cooking—fuels linked to serious health and environmental issues.
“The lowest national access rates were observed in South Sudan (5%), followed by Chad and Burundi (12%). These countries, along with Nigeria, have shown low annualized increases in access since 2010,” the report said.
A Bleak Outlook Unless Urgent Action Is Taken
While some regions of the world are on track to achieve universal access by 2030, Nigeria is among those moving in the opposite direction. The report praises progress in Central and Southern Asia, which slashed their electricity access deficit from 414 million in 2010 to just 27 million in 2023. In contrast, Nigeria and other African nations are still far behind, despite billions of dollars in donor funding and public investments.
“The pace of progress in Sub-Saharan Africa calls for significant acceleration,” the report concluded, adding that under current policies, Nigeria will miss the SDG7 target by a wide margin.
As it stands, the 2025 World Bank report is a damning indictment of Nigeria’s energy policies and a warning that without urgent, transparent, and results-driven interventions, tens of millions of Nigerians will remain in the dark for years to come.