Abstract

Ndem Ayara, Uwem Essia and Peter Ubi

This paper reviews generally the situation with electricity supply in Nigeria, and more specifically focuses on analyzing access, generation, and utilization of electricity by households in Cross River State. Using descriptive statistics obtained from primary and secondary sources, it was found that electric power was the most limiting factor and major business obstacle in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It equally identifies poor maintenance culture, inefficient distribution networks, and low revenue collection performance as major constraints. In Nigeria, electricity supply fluctuates between 2,000 to 4,000 MW and is at best barely able to meet 1/3 of the estimated demand for power. For Cross River State, it was found that 47 percent of communities have access to electric power supply, but only 38 percent were connected to the national grid, and the use of high voltage electrical appliances was relatively lower in the rural areas. Accordingly, it was recommended that Federal and State Governments commit more funds to investments in the power generation, transmission, distribution, and sustain power sector reforms to attract more private investors. It is also needful to continually update distribution facilities and networks to ensure effective evacuation and delivery.