Electricity Access in West Africa: 2005 → 2023

This weekend I visualized how electricity access has changed across West Africa over the last 18 years — and the progress is striking, though uneven.

Ghana – Near-universal access. A regional benchmark.

Côte d’Ivoire – Strong, consistent growth into the top tier.

Nigeria – Big improvement, but population size keeps the gap wide.

Senegal – Solid gains driven by energy reforms.

Mali & Burkina Faso – Progress, but still constrained by infrastructure.

Niger – Improvement visible, yet access remains very low.

Sierra Leone & Liberia – Large relative gains from low starting points.

West Africa is advancing — but where you live still determines whether you have power.

I’m excited to continue exploring how data can drive better decisions in energy, development, and policy.

Which country’s progress surprised you the most?

Data source: World Bank

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