India and World Bank engage to support Nigeria’s power sector

India has offered to share its power-sector technology, regulatory experience, and technical expertise with Nigeria to address the country’s persistent electricity challenges. During the India-Nigeria Power Forum in Abuja, Indian High Commissioner Abhishek Singh emphasized that stable power is essential for Nigeria’s industrialization and manufacturing competitiveness. The offer includes support across electricity generation, transmission, and distribution.

Simultaneously, the World Bank has tied $200 million in performance-based financing to Nigeria’s regulatory reforms for mini-grids. This funding is part of the $750 million Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) project. To unlock the funds, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) must implement specific reforms, such as streamlining license and tariff applications and clarifying community rights in urban mini-grid projects. These reforms aim to create a predictable environment to attract private commercial investment into decentralized renewable energy.