The Federal Government has announced that Nigeria is on track to earn nearly $1bn (approximately N1.49tn) annually from electricity exports to 15 West African countries under the ECOWAS sub-region beginning June 2026.
The projected revenue is based on the full utilisation of a 600-megawatt export capacity at the prevailing regional tariff, as Nigeria prepares for full integration into the West African power market following a historic grid synchronisation exercise conducted this month.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, revealed that Nigeria successfully carried out a four-hour synchronisation test with the West African regional grid on November 8, 2025. He said the development strengthens Nigeria’s position as the region’s strategic electricity hub, particularly as power generation companies continue improving compliance with free-governor control—an operational standard essential for regional grid stability.
According to the minister, the synchronisation test linked Nigeria’s national grid—already serving parts of the Republic of Niger, Benin, and Togo—with the wider West African Power Pool system consisting of Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Mali.
For four straight hours, from 5:04 am to 9:04 am, power flowed smoothly across borders on a unified, stable frequency, marking the first time in history that Nigeria has operated in full technical harmony with the entire sub-region.
Adelabu said the government is now working toward achieving permanent grid synchronisation by June 2026, with a second 48-hour test planned after ongoing consultations with regional operators.
The Executive Director of Market Operations at the Nigerian Independent System Operator, Edmund Eje, disclosed that Nigeria currently sets aside 600MW daily for bilateral electricity trade. Despite this, Nigeria still offers the lowest electricity tariffs in West Africa, according to figures from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
NERC data shows that Nigeria’s average approved end-user tariff is approximately $0.07/kWh (about N100.27/kWh), just 35.71% of the regional average of $0.19/kWh.
At the regional tariff, exporting the full 600 MW could yield nearly $1bn annually. A breakdown shows that 600 MW—equivalent to 600,000 kilowatts—billed at $0.19/kWh would generate about $114,000 per hour, or roughly $2.73 million daily, amounting to an estimated $998.6 million annually.
These projections assume uninterrupted delivery of the contracted export volume once permanent synchronisation is achieved in June 2026. Officials say the increased revenue could help stabilise the power sector, address liquidity gaps, and deepen regional energy market growth.
The government assured Nigerians that exporting electricity will not compromise domestic supply. Adelabu added that the recent synchronisation marks Nigeria’s most successful attempt since 2007, when a similar effort failed after just seven minutes.
