ENERGY

Energy

Petroleum, natural gas, and hydroelectricity are Nigeria’s major
sources of commercial energy; they are slightly outpaced by the largely
noncommercial consumption of fuelwood and charcoal. Despite major programs
to extend electricity to homes, only a small portion of rural households
are electrified. Demand for electricity outstrips supply, in part
because of mismanagement in the government agency overseeing energy
production. In the late 1990s periodic power outages cost Nigerian factories
countless hours of operation. The major thermal electrical installations
are at Igbin, Afam, and Sapele. Hydroelectricity is generated at
Kainji Dam and in lesser quantities at Shiroro Gorge on the Kaduna River, at
Jebba, and at several smaller sites. Only a small