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• Cite gas supply, transmission bottlenecks, legacy debts as major obstacles
• Insist reliable electricity critical to achieving 6% economic growth target
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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Nigeria’s ambition to raise electricity generation to 10,000 megawatts by 2031 may remain a tall order unless longstanding challenges in the power sector, particularly transmission capacity, gas supply and legacy debts, are urgently addressed, economic and policy experts have warned.
The experts, who spoke during a panel discussion on the implementation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2027 presidential election manifesto, said increasing generation alone would not guarantee reliable electricity supply without corresponding investments in transmission and distribution infrastructure.
The Head of Delivery, Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Esege Ebie Esege, who represented the Special Adviser, Hadiza Bala-Usman, described the 10,000MW target as ambitious, considering the country’s current electricity generation level of about 4,000MW.
He said Nigeria would have to almost double its present output to meet the target, while also addressing the challenges preventing generated electricity from reaching consumers.
“That target of 10,000 megawatts by 2031 is indeed a tall order. It’s very optimistic, considering where we are now. We are doing about 4,000 megawatts, and in the peak period we have gone up to 5,000,” he said.
Esege identified the completion of ongoing transmission projects and resolution of the power sector’s legacy debts as critical steps towards achieving the target.
He explained that even when electricity was generated, inadequate transmission capacity and financial challenges affecting operators could prevent it from reaching end users.
The discussion, moderated by Rotus Oddiri, Business Editor of Arise News, featured policy and strategy expert Professor Okey Ikechukwu and the Chief Executive Officer of Proshare, Olufemi Awoyemi.
The panel examined the feasibility of the APC manifesto’s target of achieving six per cent annual economic growth by 2031, as well as the policy coordination and sectoral interventions required to translate the commitments into measurable outcomes.
Ikechukwu argued that reliable electricity was fundamental to the success of virtually every other economic and social commitment in the manifesto, including housing, education, industrialisation and job creation.
He said the government must look beyond macroeconomic indicators and pay greater attention to the economic realities of households, insisting that national economic growth must translate into improved living conditions.
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He distinguished between the national economy and what he described as the household economy, arguing that policies would have limited impact if Nigerians could not afford basic necessities and access essential services.
According to him, providing teachers for rural communities, for instance, would not guarantee improved educational outcomes without addressing their housing, security and other welfare needs.
He stressed that electricity was central to addressing these challenges, noting that schools, homes, businesses and industries all required reliable power to function effectively.
“Without power, every other thing is a pipe dream,” he said, describing electricity as a national emergency that required urgent and coordinated action rather than a distant policy promise.
On the six per cent economic growth target, the experts acknowledged that it would require sustained expansion in productive activities, increased domestic production and exports, as well as effective coordination among government institutions.
The discussion also examined the potential of the housing and real estate sector to contribute more significantly to economic growth.
One of the panellists, Hon. Abdulmumuni Jibrin, member of the House of Representatives representing Bebeji/Kiru Federal Constituency, Kano State, argued that the sector required a stronger regulatory framework to unlock private investment, improve confidence in property transactions and address structural weaknesses in the housing market.
He called for the establishment of a National Housing and Real Estate Regulatory Authority to harmonise standards, strengthen oversight and improve coordination between federal and state governments.
He also advocated a clearer division of responsibilities among government institutions, arguing that the Federal Government should concentrate on regulation and enabling infrastructure while private sector operators drive more investment and housing delivery.
The panel further identified the high cost of building materials, particularly cement, as a major obstacle to affordable housing, with Ikechukwu urging the adoption of alternative building technologies and materials to reduce construction costs.
The experts maintained that achieving the manifesto’s economic targets would depend not only on the promises contained in the document but also on effective implementation, monitoring, accountability and coordination across the different levels of government.
They urged the government to prioritise the practical challenges confronting households and businesses, particularly electricity supply, infrastructure deficits and the cost of living, if the proposed transition from economic reforms to shared prosperity is to produce tangible benefits for Nigerians.
