Abstract
The electricity situation in Nigeria can be described as epileptic with no sign in view of improvement. This epileptic power situation affects the manufacturing, service and residential sectors of the economy which in turn affects the country’s economic growth. Even with the recent reforms in the power sector, more than half of the country’s population still lack access to electricity. The epileptic condition of the power sector can be attributed to the inadequate and inefficient power plants, poor transmission and distribution facilities, and outdated metering system used by electricity consumers. This paper attempts to present the way forward for the Nigerian poor electricity situation by reviewing the power sector as a whole and the renewable energy potentials. We identified the problems in the national grid and then proposed a smart grid model for the Nigerian power sector which will include renewable energy source. We believe that the content of this review paper will solve the poor epileptic condition of the power sector in Nigeria and also enable the proper nitration of smart grid technology into the national grid.
Highlights
Electricity is an important facet of any nation’s development
This paper is divided into seven main sections: the first section is the introduction and the second is an overview of the power sector where we reviewed the history of the power sector and its various sectors which comprise of the generation, transmission and distribution after which we go into the regulatory agencies, key institutions and the current electricity situation in Nigeria
We have observed that the Nigerian electricity grid is faced with a lot of problems which include the insufficient and inefficient power generation facilities, inadequately maintained long transmission lines and distribution facilities, and outdated metering system used by its customers
Summary
Electricity is an important facet of any nation’s development. In Nigeria, electricity is the pillar of its growth and development with roles in the nation’s production of goods and services in the industrial sector as well as agriculture, health and education [1]. The just concluded World Economic Forum on Africa which took place in Abuja, Nigeria (ended on 9th May, 2014) saw an investment boost to the tune of $68 billion from foreign and domestic investors in the service and industrial sectors. This investment will meet its “waterloo” if the Nigerian power situation does not improve. In order to solve the above research question, the paper reviews the current electricity sector in Nigeria and the concept of smart grid technology. We believe that this paper will contribute immensely to the possibility of smart grid and renewable integration into the Nigerian electricity grid
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