Nigeria took eleven years to add just 760 megawatts of power to the national grid, while the Dangote refinery doubled that output, generating 1,500mw in a shorter time.

For decades, the country has suffered from chronic power shortages, and repeated promises to fix the problem have long dominated election campaigns.

Data sourced from the Nigeria Electricity System Operator showed Generation Companies (Gencos)’ delivery to the Distribution Companies (Discos) via the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has increased by 22 percent from an average of 3,400mw in November 2013 to an average generation of 4,160mw, as at 12 June 2024.

However, Dangote’s oil refinery produced 1,500mw of power after construction in 2018, surpassing the total national grid expansion achieved in over a decade.