SOCIO-ECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF HOUSEHOLD ACCESS TO IMPROVED ELECTRICITY POWER SUPPLY AND WILLINGNESS TO PAY IN LOKOJA, NIGERIA

Abstract

Access to electricity power supply remains a significant challenge in developing countries, with approximately 840 million people lacking reliable electricity supply. With the state of power supply in Nigeria, especially Lokoja City, many micro and medium enterprises as well as the industrial sector became crippled. Several studies have examined willingness to pay for improved electricity service, Households’ energy choice but little have been done on households’ access and willingness to pay for improved electricity power supply across residential density areas in Lokoja. Therefore, this article investigate households’ access to improved Electricity Power supply and Willingness to Pay in Lokoja, Nigeria with a view to provide a practical and policy guidelines that will enhance access to electricity power supply. Robert Willig Theory of Willingness to Pay anchored the study. Cross sectional survey was adopted for the study. A semi-structure questionnaire was administered to 385 households’ heads in the residential areas of Lokoja as identify in the Lokoja Urban Master Plan. This was obtained using Yamane sample size calculator base on the 2026 population projection of 64,220 households. Findings reveal Male-head households constituted 64%. Households sourced electricity power from solar (24%), Generator (34%), Power holding company (64%). About 54.4% households sampled indicated that they enjoy power supply less than 4 hours per day,  while, 27% households signified that they enjoyed power supply for 4-6 hours per day, 6.2% of the households stated that they enjoyed power supply for 8-12 hours per day. Households’ income, level of education and location of property jointly predict willingness to pay and access to electricity power supply in the study area. Dilapidated power infrastructure, huge debt of gas supplied, inadequate and estimated billing, were identified as challenges to households’ access to improved power supply. The result obtained indicate that there is spatial variation in duration of power supply across residential area. The authors recommend alternate source of improved power supply, implementation of the Nigerian Gas Master plan and more Investment in the Power Distribution Company to increase access in the rural areas among others.