Nigeria’s electricity crisis is increasingly a problem of distribution efficiency rather than generation capacity, Group Managing Director of Sahara Power Group, Kola Adesina, has said. Speaking through the company’s Group Head of Human Resources, Emilomo Arorote, at the IoT West Africa Conference in Lagos, Adesina urged the adoption of a digital grid as the most effective route to achieving stable and reliable power supply across the country.
He noted that despite improvements in generation, supply gaps persist due to limited grid visibility, weak system intelligence, and lack of real time data. According to him, a digital grid integrates sensors, automation, and data analytics into electricity networks, enabling operators to detect faults early, improve billing accuracy through smart meters, and enhance overall system transparency.
Adesina added that layering artificial intelligence on operational data allows for demand forecasting, reduction of technical and commercial losses, and faster detection of energy theft, while shifting maintenance from reactive to preventive models. He cited examples from across Africa, including the Aba Power industrial cluster in Abia State, which operates a near isolated smart grid, as well as improvements in grid stability in South Africa and loss reduction efforts in Mozambique through smart metering.
He called for policy support such as import duty waivers on digital grid equipment and urged stakeholders to adopt blended financing models to accelerate investment in the sector. He also encouraged local engineers and technology developers to build solutions for the evolving grid, noting that private sector driven innovation, supported by initiatives like the World Bank backed Mission 300 programme, will be critical to transforming Nigeria’s electricity system.