By Peace Udugba -The daily torch media
At a time when Nigeria’s electricity supply is widely considered one of the worst in decades, West African neighbours—Benin, Togo and Burkina Faso—are intensifying efforts to secure increased electricity supply from Nigeria, The ICIR reports.
Benin and Togo already maintain bilateral electricity supply agreements with Nigeria and have significantly upgraded their power evacuation infrastructure, including transmission lines, substations, and switchgear systems, to enhance electricity offtake.
In contrast, Nigeria has struggled to expand its own evacuation corridors, limiting its ability to deliver power efficiently to neighbouring countries.
This infrastructure gap has prompted these nations to explore alternative arrangements, including direct electricity purchases from Nigeria’s power generation companies (GENCOS).
Burkina Faso has recently approached the Nigerian government with interest in power supply, while Benin and Togo remain long-standing customers.
Sources familiar with the development disclosed that direct procurement from GENCOS could reduce costs. However, such arrangements would require approval from the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Nigeria’s electricity generation continues to fluctuate between 3,000 and 4,000 megawatts, despite an installed capacity of about 14,000 megawatts since the sector’s privatisation in 2013. As a result, most Nigerian households face erratic power supply, with distribution companies relying heavily on load-shedding across residential and industrial areas.
The situation is further compounded by liquidity challenges in the power sector. Debts owed to GENCOS have reportedly exceeded N6 trillion, while inadequate transmission infrastructure continues to hinder efficient power evacuation both domestically and across borders.
According to Edmund Eje, Executive Director of Market Operations at the Nigerian Independent System Operator, the total contracted capacity for international customers—comprising Benin, Togo, and Nigeria—is 606 megawatts. However, actual supply averages between 306 and 320 megawatts, depending on transmission line availability.
Investigations reveal that the 470-kilometre transmission line from Ikeja West in Nigeria to Sakete in Benin Republic remains incomplete on Nigeria’s side, which accounts for 70 per cent of the infrastructure. While Benin has completed its portion, Nigeria’s unfinished segment restricts power evacuation to just 100 megawatts, far below the line’s 600-megawatt capacity.
Eje noted that these limitations have driven neighbouring countries to engage directly with Nigerian generation companies.
“In the past week, three generation companies approached us about signing power purchase agreements with Togo. Burkina Faso has also expressed interest in securing 400 megawatts,” he said.
The Executive Secretary of the Association of Power Generation Companies of Nigeria, Joy Ogaji, warned that mounting debts are eroding investor confidence in the sector.
“Liquidity constraints continue to strain generation companies. Gas supply limitations disrupt consistent power delivery, while end users grapple with unreliable electricity,” she said.
Energy analysts maintain that expanding transmission infrastructure—particularly through projects led by the Transmission Company of Nigeria—could significantly address the evacuation challenges. However, they stress that increased federal investment is critical, as many current projects depend heavily on funding from international institutions such as the World Bank and the African Development Bank.
