International Journal of Applied Engineering Research ISSN 0973-4562 Volume 13, Number 16 (2018) pp. 12602-12610 © Research India Publications. http://www.ripublication.com 12602 Power Inadequacy, the Thorn in Economic Growth of Nigeria WS Ebhota*, PY Tabakov* *Department of Mechanical Engineering, Institute for Systems Science, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa. Correspondence Author Abstract Adequate access to reliable, quality and affordable power is crucial to national economic growth. The Nigerian power industry performance track records and statistics are dismal and appalling. The power supply is characterized by low accessibility, epileptic and poor transmission. The socioeconomic activities in Nigeria have been grossly impacted negatively by insufficient power supply. Yet the huge energy potential available in the country are insignificantly tapped. Therefore, this study x-rays the past and present power situation in Nigeria; the determinants of the amount of power demanded; and the several interventions in the Nigerian power supply. The study reported that population, industry, transportation, agriculture, and commercial services are the main determinants of energy demand in Nigeria. The study reveals that population interconnects all other factors. Industrial, transportation and residential sectors consume the most energy in Nigeria. Industrialization, urbanization and the general economic wellbeing of Nigeria depend largely on effective power supply. This study concludes that effective power supply relies on careful and logical handling of these critical power technical activities ‒ power generation; efficient power transmission to users; efficient power distribution to the users; reasonable level of domestic power equipment manufacturing infrastructure; management of population growth; and national power infrastructural development planning and enabling policy for power sector investments. Keywords: Power in Nigeria; electricity in Nigeria; Energy trilemma; Nigerian Energy potential; effect of power on manufacturing; Nigeria power consumption and generation INTRODUCTION In 2016, it was reported that only about 58% of Nigeria’s population have access to the national electricity grid and in this percentage, only about 30% of its current requirements are met [1]. The power sector in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), is in a pathetic state, despite several interventions [2]. The most populous country in the region, Nigeria, is severely affected. The challenges that trail the power sector in Nigeria, seem as they were two decades ago and have deepened in some areas. Before divestiture of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) by the federal government in 2013, PHCN was solely mandated to construct and engineer power generating units; maintain and service power grids; operate dams and manage water for power generation, flood control and navigations; resettle; maintain control, protections and communications equipment; maintain scheduling; and analyse security and post contingency. The Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) started in 1950 as the Electricity Corporation of Nigeria (ECN) and later became the National Electric Power Authority. The running of the PHCN has been lacking in professionalism since inception in 1950 and today, the national grid system is characterised by poor workmanship; poor quality materials; poor standards by foreign and local contractors; cable theft; power theft by consumers; vandalization of pipelines and transformers; court disputes and protests; and much more. Power is needed to drive industrial machines for the manufacturing of different products, as a result, it contributes, significantly, to national economic growth. The power required to stimulate socioeconomic activity in Nigeria, is grossly inadequate, consequently, there is high rate of unemployment, poverty, high cost of production and services, etc. According to Ebhota and Inambao, power consumption per capita, is a yardstick for measuring the quality of life and development of a country or region [3]. However, there is an addition to this benchmark in the contemporary energy world, prompted by attributes of modern energy supply [4]. In the contemporary world, the consumption per capita of clean, adequate, affordable and sustainable power is a yardstick for measuring the quality of life and development of a country or region. Electrical energy production and consumption per capita of selected world countries are shown in Fig. 1. Therefore, access to adequate, reliable, affordable and quality energy, especially electricity, is a panacea to the socioeconomic development of a country. The aim of this study is to identify the relationship between the development of the power sector in Nigeria and its impact on the socioeconomic development of the country. To do this, we analyse government policies for management of the most significant energy consuming sectors in the country and six critical activities for achieving an effective power supply. Figure 1. Electrical energy production and consumption per capita of selected world countries [5]