Nigeria, once hailed as the “giants of Africa,” is on the brink of losing its title to a smaller neighbour, Ghana. The reason? Ghana is stepping in to help Nigeria tackle its persistent electricity problems. Startling reports indicate that Ghana might soon become an electricity exporter to Nigeria.
Nigeria’s woes seem unending, with chronic issues plaguing its power sector. In stark contrast, Ghana, despite grappling with debt, has managed to get some things right. Mr. Hanson Monney, the Head of the Generation and Transmission Unit at Ghana’s Ministry of Energy, emphasized that Ghana has achieved an impressive 80% to 85% universal energy access within its borders through effective policy development and implementation.
During a presentation in Lagos at the Nigeria Energy Leadership Summit, Monney disclosed that Ghana’s power sector has been steadily evolving, raising the possibility of exporting electricity to Nigeria once its power system is fully developed. He stated, “So, we are working on all these things to make sure that the power system of Ghana continues to be as good as it is or even better, and then, maybe, we can be exporting more to our big brothers in Nigeria when the grid is finally settled.”
This revelation comes in the wake of Nigeria’s second national power grid breakdown, resulting in a total blackout across homes and businesses in Africa’s most populous country and top oil producer.
In sharp contrast, Ghana is aggressively diversifying its energy sources, including grid electricity, mini-grids, and solar-dominated renewable energy, aiming for “Universal access to energy by 2024,” as directed by the country’s President.
To understand how Nigeria’s electricity problems began, we must rewind to its independence in 1960 when it inherited a well-functioning Electricity Corporation of Nigeria (ECN). However, the power sector has since become a major burden, with successive administrations investing substantial resources but yielding minimal results. Nigeria struggles to generate a meager 4,000 megawatts of electricity for a population of approximately 200 million people.
Regarding Ghana’s electricity access, Monney acknowledged geographical limitations, making it challenging to provide everyone with electricity, especially in isolated areas. However, Ghana is committed to scaling up its renewable energy program in 2022 to address these challenges.
Dispelling a common misconception, it’s essential to clarify that Nigeria does not supply electricity to Ghana, Togo, and Benin wholesale. Instead, there’s an agreement where Nigeria supplies 350 megawatts of generated electricity to these countries in exchange for the use of water resources that flow from their territories for power generation. If these countries were to dam these waters for irrigation or their own electricity, Nigeria’s production capacity would be severely affected.
Ghana and the neighboring countries primarily generate 70% of their electricity locally, debunking the myth that Nigeria significantly powers them.
One of Ghana’s pressing issues is financial sustainability in its power sector due to mounting debts and surplus capacity purchases. Efforts are needed to address legacy debts and lower electricity prices, particularly for businesses.
In the midst of these challenges, it’s disheartening to witness Nigerian leaders engaging in international travel while their country faces severe problems. This situation remains a matter of immense shame, and one can only hope that leaders feel the weight of this shame and take decisive actions to address Nigeria’s pressing issues.
