Nigeria has the highest number of people without access to electricity in Africa, with an estimated 86 million residents still living without power, according to the latest data from the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) and the Tracking SDG7 initiative.

The report, compiled by the World Bank, International Energy Agency (IEA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations, ranks the Democratic Republic of the Congo second with 79 million people lacking electricity, followed by Ethiopia with 56 million.

Tanzania occupies fourth position with 36 million people without electricity, while Uganda ranks fifth with 25 million.

Mozambique follows with 22 million people lacking access to electricity, ahead of Niger with 21 million and Madagascar with 19 million.

Burkina Faso and Angola complete the top 10 list, each recording an estimated 18 million residents without electricity.

The findings underscore the scale of Africa’s electricity access challenge and highlight the need for sustained investment in power infrastructure and energy access to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7, which seeks to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy.