The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has reported a significant increase in the number of electricity consumers, rising from 11.71 million in the third quarter of 2023 to 12.12 million in the fourth quarter of the same year, marking a 3.46 per cent increase.
Released in Abuja, the NBS Electricity Report for Q4 2023 highlights key metrics including energy billed, revenue generated, and customer data provided by Distribution Companies (DisCos).
According to the report, on a year-on-year basis, the number of electricity customers rose by 9.59 per cent in Q4 2023 from 11.06 million reported in the same period of 2022.
Metered customers in Q4 2023 stood at 5.61 million, showing a slight decrease from the 5.68 million recorded in Q3 2023, indicating a 1.32 per cent decrease. However, on a year-on-year basis, metered customers grew by 9.38 per cent from the 5.13 million reported in Q4 2022.
In contrast, estimated electricity customers declined to 5.83 million in Q4 2023, showing a decrease of 3.34 per cent from the 6.03 million recorded in Q3 2023. On a year-on-year basis, estimated customers decreased by 1.73 per cent in Q4 2023 from the 5.93 million recorded in Q4 2022.
The report also reveals that electricity distribution companies collected N294.95 billion in revenue in Q4 2023, compared with the N260.16 billion collected in Q3 2023. On a year-on-year basis, revenue collected surged by 26.96 per cent over the N232.32 billion collected in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Furthermore, electricity supply increased to 6,432 (Gwh) in Q4 2023 from 5,732 (Gwh) recorded in the previous quarter. On a year-on-year basis, electricity supply witnessed a significant increase of 14.64 per cent in Q4 2023 compared to the 5,611 (Gwh) reported in Q4 2022.
Between Depleting Workforce And Declining Productivity