The latest report from Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), has revealed that the number of electricity users in the country saw a notable increase in Q3 2023.

According to the NBS Electricity Report for the first quarter of 2024, released in Abuja on Tuesday, the total number of electricity consumers surged by 210,000, reaching 12.33 million from 12.12 million in the final quarter of 2023.

This growth, representing a 1.78% increase, underscores a significant uptick in electricity usage across Nigeria.

The report further details that Distribution Companies (DISCOS) served a total customer base of 11.27 million during the first three months of 2024, marking a robust 9.47% expansion compared to the same period last year.

Moreover, the number of customers equipped with meters rose to 5.91 million, reflecting a 5.38% increase from the previous quarter. Year-on-year, this figure translates to an 11.26% rise from the first quarter of 2023.

Additionally, the report highlighted a notable increase in estimated electricity users, which reached 6.43 million in Q1 2024, indicating a 10.22% growth from Q4 2023’s figure of 5.83 million.

It said “On a year-on-year basis, the figure grew by 11.26 per cent from the 5.31 million reported in Q1 2023.

In the first quarter of 2024, Nigeria experienced a notable increase in estimated electricity users, reaching 6.43 million—a 10.22% rise from the 5.83 million users recorded in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Comparing year-over-year figures, this marks a 7.88% increase from the 5.96 million users reported in the same period the previous year.

Despite this growth in user numbers, there was a slight dip in revenue for electricity distribution companies.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, these companies earned ₦291.62 billion in the first quarter of 2024, down from ₦294.95 billion in the preceding quarter of 2023.

However, the National Bureau of Statistics reported that despite the slight decrease in revenue from the fourth quarter of 2023, which was ₦291.62 billion in the first quarter of 2024 compared to ₦294.95 billion, there was a notable 17.91% increase from the ₦247.33 billion earned in the first quarter of 2023.

In terms of electricity supply, the report highlighted that the supply in the first quarter of 2024 was 5,769 GWh, down from 6,432 GWh in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Additionally, compared to the first quarter of 2023, which saw a supply of 5,851 GWh, there was a modest 1.41% decrease in supply in the first quarter of 2024.

The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to supporting the socio-economic development of Nigeria, especially in its areas of operations in the Niger Delta.

Director/Head of Corporate Relations, SPDC, Igo Weli, made the statement in Port Harcourt last Friday at a dinner to celebrate the 21st anniversary of Treasure FM, a member of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) network.

Weli said, “Our commitment stretches back to the 1950s, with a wide range of programmes supporting education, infrastructure, community electrification, and business empowerment.”

A key highlight of the anniversary dinner was the presentation of the FRCN Award for Consistent Media Partner to Shell companies in Nigeria.

Weli, who was represented by the Shell Spokesman, Michael Adande, said, “This award serves as a strong reminder that Shell’s dedication to the socio-economic development of the Niger Delta region remains a cornerstone of our presence in Nigeria.”

The award recognises Shell’s partnership with FRCN, particularly its support for the weekly live programme Canvas: Niger Delta Roundtable, which fosters crucial discussions on development issues impacting the region.

“While the award itself was unexpected, it reinforces the value of initiatives like Canvas,” Weli added. “This recognition motivates us to keep promoting development, not just in our operational areas but across the entire nation.”

Since 2017, Canvas: Niger Delta Roundtable has aired twice weekly on different radio stations in the Niger Delta with live online streaming. These broadcasts dedicate an hour to exploring topics relevant to the development of the region and its people.

The General Manager, FRCN Treasure FM Port Harcourt, Fred Onyeka Nwaulune, commended Shell’s partnership.

“Shell has been a reliable media partner, consistently educating the Niger Delta region on the importance of dialogue for development and peaceful solutions,” he said. “Their programme aligns perfectly with FRCN’s focus on sustainable development.”

He noted that through the dialogue radio programme, Shell had demonstrated a continued focus on driving progress and positive change in the Niger Delta and beyond.

. . . Laments As Regulator (NMDPRA) Continues To Grant Licences For Importation Of Banned Dirty Diesel, Jet Fuel

There appears to be a strategy of economic conspiracy against Nigeria and Africa being manifest in the oil industry with the International Oil Companies (IOCs) through concerted efforts to frustrate oil refineries in the domestic economy.

Vice President, Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), Devakumar Edwin, levelled the accusation, at a one-day training programme for Energy Editors in Lagos.

He maintained that the IOCs in Nigeria were doing everything to frustrate the survival of Dangote Oil Refinery and Petrochemicals.

According to Edwin, the IOCs are deliberately and willfully frustrating the refinery’s efforts to buy local crude by jerking up high premium price above the market price, thereby forcing it to import crude from countries as far as United States, with its attendant high costs.

In addition, Edwin lamented the activity of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), in granting licences, indiscriminately to marketers to import dirty refined products into the country.

He said, “the Federal Government issued 25 licences to build refinery and we are the only one that delivered on promise. In effect, we deserve every support from the Government. It is good to note that from the start of production, more than 3.5 billion litres, which represents 90 percent of our production, have been exported. We are calling on the Federal Government and regulators to give us the necessary support in order to create jobs and prosperity for the nation.”

According to him, “While the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) are trying their best to allocate the crude for us, the IOCs are deliberately and willfully frustrating our efforts to buy the local crude. It would be recalled that the NUPRC, recently met with crude oil producers as well as refineries owners in Nigeria, in a bid to ensure full adherence to Domestic Crude Oil Supply Obligations (DCSO), as enunciated under section 109(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

“It seems that the IOCs’ objective is to ensure that our Petroleum Refinery fails. It is either they are deliberately asking for ridiculous/humongous premium or, they simply state that crude is not available. At some point, we paid $6 over and above the market price. This has forced us to reduce our output as well as import crude from countries as far as the US, increasing our cost of production…

“It appears that the objective of the IOCs is to ensure that Nigeria remains a country which exports Crude Oil and imports refined Petroleum Products. They (IOCs) are keen on exporting the raw materials to their home countries, creating employment and wealth for their countries, adding to their GDP, and dumping the expensive refined products into Nigeria – thus making us to be dependent on imported products. It is the same strategy the multinationals have been adopting in every commodity, making Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa to be facing unemployment and poverty, while they create wealth for themselves at our expense. This is exploitation – pure and simple. Unfortunately, the country is also playing into their hands by continuing to issue import licences, at the expense of our economy and at the cost of the health of the Nigerians who are exposed to carcinogenic products.

“In spite of the fact that we are producing and bringing out diesel into the market, complying with ECOWAS regulations and standards, licences are being issued, in large quantities, to traders who are buying the extremely high sulphur diesel from Russia and dumping it in the Nigerian Market. Since the US, EU and UK imposed a Price Cap Scheme from 5^th February, 2023 on Russian Petroleum Products, a large number of vessels are waiting near Togo with Russian ultra-high sulphur diesel and, they are being purchased and dumped into the Nigerian Market.

“In fact, some of the European countries were so alarmed about the carcinogenic effect of the extra high sulphur diesel being dumped into the Nigerian Market that countries like Belgium and the Netherlands imposed a ban on such fuel being exported from its country, into West Africa, recently. It is sad that the country is giving import licences for such dirty diesel to be imported into Nigeria, when we have more than adequate petroleum refining capacity locally…”

Recall that in May, Belgium and Netherland adopted new quality standards to halt the export of cheap, low-quality fuels to West Africa, harmonising its standards with those of the European Union. These measures synchronise fuel export standards with the European domestic market, specifically targeting diesel and petrol with high sulphur and chemical content. Historically, these fuels, with sulphur content reaching up to 10,000 ppm, were exported at reduced rates to countries like Nigeria and other West African consumers.

Belgium’s Minister of Environment, Zakia Khattabi, announced that his country followed the Netherland, which in April 2023 also prohibited the export of low-quality petrol and diesel to West Africa via the ports of Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

Khattabi emphasised that the Netherlands’ decision to restrict dirty fuel exports had redirected the trade to Belgium, now used by oil producers and traders to export gasoline with excessively high levels of benzene and sulphur.

“For far too long, toxic fuels have been departing from Belgium to destinations including Africa. They cause extremely poor air quality in countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon and are even carcinogenic,” said Khattabi.

In September 2017, an investigation by an international organisation, Public Eye revealed that polluted and toxic fuels were being exported on a large scale from the ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam for export to African markets.

As much as a quarter of the petrol and diesel available in West Africa originates from the ports of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Antwerp. These fuels contain sulphur and other pollutants, such as cancer-causing benzene, in quantities up to 400 times the limits permitted in Europe.

The Netherlands and Belgium were enjoined to enforce regulations to shield millions of Africans from exposure to toxic fuels.

The decision of the NMDPRA in granting licenses indiscriminately for the importation of dirty diesel and aviation fuel has made the Dangote refinery to expand into foreign markets.

The refinery has recently exported diesel and aviation fuel to Europe and other parts of the world. The same industry players fought us for crashing the price of diesel and aviation fuel, but our aim, as I have said earlier, is to grow our economy.

He noted that because the refinery meets the international standard as well as comply with stringent guidelines and regulations to protect the local environment, it has been able to export its products to Europe and other parts of the world.

While appealing to the Federal Government and the National Assembly to urgently intervene for speedy implementation of the PIA and to ensure the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians are protected.

He said, “Recently, the government of Ghana, through legislation has banned the importation of highly contaminated diesel and PMS into their county. It is regrettable that, in Nigeria, import licences are granted despite knowing that we have the capacity to produce nearly double the amount of products needed in Nigeria and even export the surplus.

“Since January 2021, ECOWAS regulations have prohibited the import of highly contaminated diesel into the region.”