The Impact of Inadequate Electricity Provision in Nigeria Implications for Planning and Management

The aim of this paper is to examine the use of averting behavior and willingness to pay as a tool for infrastructure planning and management through the following objectives: To determine the alternative sources of energy used by households in the absence of regular and reliable electricity supply in the study area, to find out the level of mitigation or averting cost incurred by households in the study area and to establish the level of willingness to pay among households for regular and improved power supply in the study area. Questionnaires are administered (face to face) to 1040 households in eight local government areas of Lagos metropolis out of which 774 (77.4%) responded. Analysis was carried out with descriptive and inferential statistics. The result of the analysis shows that majority of households rely on electricity generators for power supply, suffer pollution as a result and incur a lot of cost on their maintenance. They are also willing to pay for improved power supply. A model was also developed to show the three most significant factors that influence electricity infrastructure demand. These findings provide a good tool for proper planning and management of electricity infrastructure.