The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed a significant uptick in electricity consumers, with numbers soaring by 410,000 from 11.71 million in the third quarter of 2023 to 12.12 million in the subsequent quarter, marking a 3.46 percent increase.
This data, highlighted in the Q4 2023 Electricity Report released in Abuja, underscores a promising trend in electricity consumption.
The report meticulously examines various metrics including energy billed, revenue generated, and customer demographics across distribution companies (DISCOS) during the reporting period. Notably, there was a robust year-on-year surge of 9.59 percent in the number of electricity customers in Q4 2023 compared to the same quarter in 2022, climbing from 11.06 million to 12.12 million.
While metered customers experienced a marginal decline from 5.68 million in Q3 2023 to 5.61 million in Q4 2023, representing a modest 1.32 percent decrease, the report indicates a noteworthy year-on-year increase of 9.38 percent from the 5.13 million reported in Q4 2022.
Conversely, estimated electricity customers witnessed a reduction to 5.83 million in Q4 2023 from 6.03 million in Q3 2023, reflecting a 3.34 percent decrease. On a year-on-year basis, estimated customers decreased by 1.73 percent in Q4 2023 compared to Q4 2022.
Revenue collection by electricity distribution companies surged to N294.95 billion in Q4 2023 from N260.16 billion in Q3 2023, indicating a remarkable 26.96 percent year-on-year increase from the N232.32 billion collected in Q4 2022.
Moreover, electricity supply saw a substantial uptick, reaching 6,432 (Gwh) in Q4 2023 compared to 5,732 (Gwh) in Q3 2023, marking a robust 14.64 percent year-on-year increase from the 5,611 (Gwh) reported in Q4 2022. This data underscores encouraging growth and potential within the electricity sector, signaling positive momentum for future endeavors.
