The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, has revealed that out of the total households in Nigeria connected to the National grid, 85.2 percent are on estimated billing.
Only 14.8 percent are on prepaid billing.
The bureau also revealed that the average monthly expenditure of households on electricity was estimated at ₦4,155.8 in the period under review.
The Statistician General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer, NBS, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, disclosed this while speaking on the Nigeria Residential Energy Demand-Side Survey, NREDSS, 2024 Report in Abuja.
Prince Adeniran noted that over 58 percent of households are connected to the national grid across the nine states surveyed, and 86.6 percent had electricity supply during the reference period.
According to him, the collaborative initiative, involving NBS, the Ministry of Power, the Energy Commission of Nigeria, ECN; the International Energy Agency IEA, and the European Union, EU, was commissioned to assess and estimate the energy demand in the residential sector for the 2024 reference period.
He added that the survey also collected other valuable information that gave insights into household energy usage patterns for cooking, lighting, and cooling.
"This is a very important exercise coming at this critical period in Nigeria, when energy demand, usage, and pricing have all been major topics of discussion in recent years," he said.
He noted that the insights contained in this report provide sound evidence for policymakers, operators, and the general public to apply in these discussions, even as the government seeks better outcomes for the energy sector as a whole.
He pointed out that access to reliable and affordable energy is a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of economic growth.
Adeniran added that the residential sector, which encompasses our homes, informal household businesses, and communities, is a major consumer of energy.
He further noted that understanding the patterns, trends, and challenges within this sector is essential for developing effective policies and strategies to meet the nation's energy needs.
"As the Coordinator of the national statistical system, it is a core part of our mandate to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to produce data that meet the needs of users both within and outside the country.
"It is in this regard that NBS collaborated with the partners on this project to provide the leadership and technical expertise for the conduct of this exercise, to address residential energy demand in Nigeria," Statistician General said
He said the main objective for the conduct of the survey, which was conducted in nine states as a pilot case study, is borne out of the need to have a comprehensive understanding of energy consumption patterns among Nigerian households.
Adeniram stressed that through this survey, "we have gathered valuable data on a range of factors."
Consumption patterns
They include energy consumption patterns, access to electricity, energy affordability, and energy efficiency, adding that insights gained from this survey will inform Nigeria's policymaking and planning efforts.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Prince Adeniran who shared some of the key highlights from the survey, said about 41 percent of households reported purchasing fuelwood, closely followed by cutting/collection (39.0 percent)
And only 18.9 percent of households used other means such as barter, gift, borrowing etc.
He said more than half of the fuelwood cut/collected by households, 55.3 percent were branches, stems, and trees, adding that an estimated 67.8 percent of households used the fuelwood either for domestic, agricultural, commercial, cultural, or religious purposes.
The Statistician General further disclosed that one in every five households (22.0 percent) used charcoal during the reference period. Among households using charcoal, 21.6 percent purchased the product, and only 0.3 and 0.6 percent acquired it through their own production, and other means respectively.
