‘Never Expect Power Always’: Electricity consumers' response to monopoly, corruption and inefficient services in Nigeria

The supply of electricity, undoubtedly the key energy source for industrial, commercial and domestic activity in the modern world, falls far short of demand in many developing countries. In Nigeria, state monopoly has compounded rather than resolved the energy crisis. The National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), established by decree in 1972, epitomizes the utter failure of state monopolies in the power sector. This and other state-owned enterprises have been the target of recent attempts at reform through privatization, deregulation or liberalization. This article analyzes developments in the Nigerian power sector, focusing on internal and external factors in NEPA's crisis, reform measures by successive governments, and the plight of consumers and their reactions to these circumstances, and comments on the ongoing and proposed reforms of the power sector.