Despite sitting atop vast reserves of crude oil that rank among the largest globally, the country grapples daily with erratic power availability. Infrastructure deterioration, coupled with outdated technology, has left the national grid unable to match the soaring demand of a growing population and burgeoning industrial sector. Frequent blackouts have become the norm rather than the exception, undermining both economic productivity and citizens’ quality of life. Efforts to diversify energy sources remain slow, hindered by bureaucratic delays and misaligned policy priorities that favor oil export revenues over domestic power improvements.

Key Challenges Include:

  • Overreliance on oil-generated power without sufficient investment in alternative energy sources
  • Chronic underfunding of maintenance leading to frequent equipment failures
  • Corruption and governance issues affecting efficient resource allocation
  • Rising electricity demand outpacing capacity expansions
Year Installed Power Capacity (GW) Average Outage Duration (Hours/Year)
2018 11.5 320
2020 13.0 285
2023 14.2 310