West Africa’s Electricity Surge Estimated To Grow By 4% In 2035- Report

West Africa’s electricity demand has been projected to rise by about 4 per cent per year between 2025 and 2035.

A new report by S&P Global however said this growth will hinge on how quickly and smoothly fuel supply, generation capacity, grid infrastructure and regional trade can be coordinated.

According to the report, West Africa stands out within sub-Saharan Africa for the central role of gas-fired generation.

It states that as electricity demand rises, reliable gas delivery becomes more critical, but it points to key binding constraints which are less about resource depth than about physical deliverability and commercial limitations, including payment discipline and contract-related risks.

Regional trade can improve fuel deliverability and system flexibility, but domestic fuel shortages, payment risk and infrastructure bottlenecks will determine whether cross-border supply becomes a reliable source of security.

The S&P global outlook speaks to the fact that West Africa’s growth story will increasingly depend on whether its gas, power, energy infrastructure and regional trade systems can scale together. Rising demand from urbanization, industry, electrification and selective growth in digital infrastructure is putting pressure on systems that already face fuel, finance and transmission constraints. The central test is whether gas availability, domestic allocation frameworks, midstream investment and cross-border trade can keep pace.

It went on to say that the regions electricity demand will continue expanding from a low base as population growth, urbanization, household electrification and commercial activity increase underlying consumption.

S&P Global Energy expects electricity demand across West Africa to grow at a compound annual growth rate of about 4 per cent between 2025 and 2035.