Expert Canvases Improved Energy Accounting

An energy expert and policy analyst, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, has called for improved energy accounting in the country.

He emphasised the need for a holistic and transparent reporting system that captures the full spectrum of electricity generation beyond grid generation.

Hamzat, in an interview with LEADERSHIP Sunday, faulted the recent announcement by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) regarding a new peak generation of 5,713.60MW as misleading and incomplete, arguing that it distorts Nigeria’s true electricity landscape.

“Nigeria’s electricity generation should not be assessed solely based on grid transmission data,” Hamzat stated.

“A proper energy accounting framework must incorporate grid-based generation, captive power, embedded generation, and independent power producer (IPP) contributions. Otherwise, we are not getting the full picture,” he added.

Hamzat noted that over 12000MW electricity is excluded from national accounting.

According to him, while TCN celebrates a new peak generation for 2025, the statement fails to acknowledge, the significant role of captive power generation, which supplies over 12,000 MW to industries, businesses, and residential areas outside the national grid.

“Nigeria’s true power capacity is far greater than what TCN reports. The failure to account for captive power means we are underestimating our real generation capacity, which affects planning, investment decisions, and policymaking, adding that accurate and transparent energy accounting is essential for realistic planning for Nigeria’s energy future,” he said.

Hamzat also called for a coordinated energy accounting among regulatory agencies.

He said that relevant government agencies, including Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), and Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET) should collaborate to account for investments in captive power and embedded generation when valuing the overall power sector.

Specifically, he proposed a unified national energy database to capture all forms of power generation in Nigeria.

He also called on the agencies to account for private sector investments in captive power and embedded generation in national reporting.