Lagos, Nigeria – Industrial magnate Aliko Dangote has asserted that Nigeria must generate at least 60,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity to sustainably power its economic ambitions and meet the needs of its growing population and industrial sector.
Speaking Wednesday during a business forum, Dangote stressed that the nation’s current electricity generation—hovering around only 4,000 MW delivered to the grid—falls drastically short of what is required to drive industrial growth and universal access.
“In the long term, we should be aiming for a minimum of 60,000 MW,” Dangote stated, emphasizing that existing power infrastructure is insufficient for Nigeria’s size and ambitions.
He highlighted the broader disconnect between installed capacity and actual supply. While Nigeria reportedly has the technical capability to generate up to 13,000 MW through its power plants, chronic inefficiencies, aging infrastructure, and system management issues mean that only a fraction of that capacity reaches consumers.
Dangote pointed to his privately-owned integrated refinery complex in Lekki as a positive counterexample, contributing approximately 1,500 MW of captive power—more than double the electricity added to the national grid over an 11-year span. He also noted that across his business group, a total of 1,540 MW is now generated internally to support manufacturing operations and ensure continuity.
Dangote argued that to deliver 60,000 MW, the government and private sector must invest heavily in generation capacity—across thermal, gas, solar, hydro—and overhaul the transmission infrastructure, which currently caps actual delivered power to roughly 4,000–5,000 MW.
He called on policymakers to fast-track reforms—including improved regulation, commercial accountability of distribution companies, and incentives for captive generation—to close Nigeria’s power gap once and for all.
“Without this transformation, we remain stuck in energy poverty, unable to unlock our industrial potential,” Dangote concluded.
Industry analysts echo Dangote’s urgency, noting that the minimum benchmark for an industrialising nation is roughly 1 MW per 1 million people, which for Nigeria’s population would suggest a requirement of 200,000 MW for full sufficiency—though 60,000 MW would significantly close the current shortfall.
As Nigeria seeks to diversify its economy and attract investment, Dangote’s warning is a stark reminder that real power transformation must precede industrial ambition.
