Nigeria solar expansion and mini‑grid rollout

Nigeria has become sub‑Saharan Africa’s fastest‑growing market for small‑scale solar, with about 96 % of its photovoltaic capacity now off‑grid. In 2025 the country added 803 MW of solar and battery storage grew 305 % to 40.6 MWh, bringing cumulative installed solar to roughly 1.19 GW. A BloombergNEF analysis shows 3.1 GW of off‑grid solar was installed in 2024‑25, lifting total off‑grid capacity to around 6 GW and projecting a potential 87 GW by 2035 if the trend continues. By contrast, utility‑scale renewable projects remain stalled because of grid constraints, insurgent activity and limited financing, leaving the national grid dependent on aging gas plants.

In parallel, the North‑East Development Commission approved a N100 billion programme to build a 50‑MW solar mini‑grid network across the six states of Nigeria’s North‑East. The initiative, part of the commission’s third‑phase regional master plan, is linked to other infrastructure projects such as a regional railway, an airline, an electric‑vehicle rollout and a N30 billion fund for youth‑ and women‑led MSMEs. Officials aim to achieve universal electricity access in the region by 2030, partnering with the Rural Electrification Agency and development partners.

Together, these developments illustrate a rapid shift toward decentralized solar power and targeted mini‑grid investments as Nigeria seeks to address chronic electricity shortages while large‑scale renewable projects lag.