Project Case Study
Building the Market for Solar Power in Nigeria
Scaling up the markets for off-grid solar and improving access to clean energy for poor communities
Despite its extraordinary economic potential, Nigeria faces significant development challenges. Solar Nigeria aims to improve access to clean, affordable energy for poor communities through education and health facilities and scaling up the private markets for off-grid solar solutions.
Solar Nigeria Programme (SNP) is the largest solar programme in Nigeria. It works to strengthen the market for off-grid solar generated energy to accelerate the uptake of solar energy technology in Nigeria both to improve the delivery of critical public services and by private households and businesses.
The project is broken down in four components, which ASI oversees and manages.
Project components
- Social:
supports the installation of off grid solar in government social institutions for health and education. ASI technical assistance to support the design, delivery and monitoring of solar installations in schools and health facilities in Lagos, Kaduna and Borno; - Consumer:
supports acceleration of Nigeria’s private markets for household and micro-enterprise power using small solar systems. Solar Nigeria provides grants and TA to attract capable companies into the market, help them overcome initial barriers, and mobilise finance for both consumers and the supply chain; - Commercial:
facilitates access to finance to increase investment in the commercial solar sector. Solar Nigeria provide grants to solar developers to facilitate early adoption and demonstration of solar in commercial businesses while identifying the risks involved in implementation of solar. - Government:
supports the enabling environment for off grid solar in Nigeria. Solar Nigeria is working with the Federal Government of Nigeria via the Office of the Vice President on the development and scale up of solar energy in Nigeria. Support includes provision of an embedded support in the Vice President’s office and ad hoc advisory support on policy and regulatory issues.
What the project has achieved
- In Lagos – electrified 175 schools and 11 clinics delivering electricity to 920,000 beneficiaries;
- In Kaduna – electrified 34 primary health centers benefiting 260,000 beneficiaries;
- In Borno – solar pilot launched electrifying 3 hospitals with 92,000 beneficiaries;
- Supported signature of an energy compact between Nigeria and the UK;
- Supported the development of the a $350m World Bank rural electrification project;
- Supported easing of market barriers on importation and mobile money regulation;
- Supported the acceleration and expansion of private markets in household solar by mobilizing finance to both consumer and supply chain – to date 500,000 solar systems deployed with SNP support benefiting 2,500,0000 beneficiaries
