Oil & Energy

Distributed Solar ‘ll Assist 70m Nigerians Without Electricity— Mission 300

Published

2 months ago

September 14, 2026

The Technical Lead for Mission 300 in Nigeria, Mr Dayo Olowoniyi said Nigeria recorded over five million new off-grid connections between 2025 and 2026.

Olowoniyi ?????????????made the remark at a Renewable Energy Product Launch, organised by Sun King, in Lagos, at the weekend.

Olowoniyi, said distributed solar is critical to reaching over 70 million Nigerians who currently have no electricity.

Olowoniyi said Nigeria recorded over five million new off-grid connections between 2025 and 2026, adding that distributed solar is one of the fastest ways to extend electricity to underserved communities.

According to him, the Federal Government’s DARES programme, implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), offers capital subsidies to renewable energy firms to reduce the cost of solar for Nigerians..

Olowoniyi said the programme, supported by the World Bank with $750 million, is helping companies deploy solar equipment in rural and low-income communities that otherwise could not afford it.

“The Federal Government cannot do it alone,” Olowoniyi said, stressing the need for more participation by state governments and the private sector to deepen solar penetration in Nigeria.

He said Mission 300, which seeks to connect more than 300 million Africans to electricity, was monitoring the pace of new connections and deployment of solar home systems and productive-use equipment in Nigeria.

Olowoniyi said sustained access to capital and stronger private-sector participation would be required to maintain the pace of electricity connections.

Also, Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Climate Change and Circular Economy, Ms Titilayo Osodi, said renewable energy could improve the productivity of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) while supporting the state’s climate and sustainable-development goals.

Oshodi said reliable energy could enable businesses to operate equipment such as freezers and other appliances, while supporting activities linked to education, food preservation, water and sanitation.

She said financing options that enable households and businesses to pay for renewable energy systems in installments could improve access for people at the lower end of the socio-economic ladder.

Oshodi said more deployment of renewable-energy solutions to MSMEs could boost commercial activity and contribute to economic growth in Lagos State.

The Country Business Manager, Sun King Nigeria, Lisbon Ogunsanmi, said the company’s monthly solar-system sales had risen from about 3,000 units to around 100,000 units, reflecting growing demand for alternative energy solutions.

Ogunsanmi said the company had trained over 200 installers and operated over 136 shops, with after-sales teams across the country.

He identified affordability as a major barrier to solar adoption, saying many households and businesses could not afford to pay the full cost of a solar system upfront.

He said financing models that allowed customers to make regular payments over time could help bridge the affordability gap and enable more businesses to access reliable power.

The Vice President, Pay-As-You-Go Sales, West and Central Africa, Sun King, Omoyemi Tuga, said the company had introduced a 5 KVA Power Hub system, expandable to 30 KVA, and a 210-litre Power Freeze for households and businesses.

Tuga said the Power Freeze could operate with solar power during the day and battery power at night, while the Power Hub could support homes, businesses, schools and hospitals.

He said the company’s ‘EasyBuy’ financing model enabled customers to make an initial payment and subsequently pay weekly or monthly over one to two years, depending on the product.

Tuga said customers could access the 5 KVA Power Hub with a down payment from N340,000, while the Power Freeze would be commercially available soon.

On his part, the Vice President, Global Affairs and Marketing, Sun King, Catherine Mudachi, said the financing model was designed to enable small businesses to pay for energy equipment from their business income rather than make the full payment upfront.

Mudachi said the model allowed customers to work toward ownership of the equipment while spreading the cost over time.

She said collaboration among government, private-sector operators and financiers remained important to expanding access to reliable and affordable electricity, particularly for underserved households and businesses.

Oil & Energy

15-Year Blackout: NDPHC Begins Electricity Project In Kaduna Community

Published

7 days ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

The Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC) has commenced a major electricity project aimed at ending a 15-year blackout in Rigasa community, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The General Manager, Corporate Communication and External Relations, NDPHC, Nazo Agim, made this known in a statement, in Abuja, at the weekend.

Agim said that the project, facilitated by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Ideological Group (BAT-IG), comprises a two-kilometre 11kV line, a 1.5-kilometre 33kV line and a 7.5MVA, 33/11kV injection substation.Access Services

According to him, the project is designed to strengthen electricity distribution and improve power supply to residents and businesses in the community.

He said that the Rigasa project underscored NDPHC’s commitment to extending critical electricity infrastructure beyond generation to bridge distribution gaps.

He also said that the project would stimulate socioeconomic development and improve the quality of life in underserved communities across Nigeria.

Agim disclosed that a groundbreaking ceremony was performed earlier on Friday, by the Kaduna state Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe, who represented Governor Uba Sani.

According to him, Balarabe, while speaking during the ceremony commended NDPHC for the intervention, describing it as a life-saving initiative that would address the community’s longstanding electricity challenges.

The NDPHC Managing Director, Jennifer Adighije, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to addressing the community’s electricity challenges.

Represented by the Executive Director, Networks, Babayo Bello, Adighije also reiterated NDPHC’s commitment to supporting President Bola Tinubu’s vision of improving electricity supply across the country.

She said that although NDPHC’s primary mandate was power generation, the company’s interventions also extended to transmission and distribution infrastructure to address critical gaps and expand electricity access.

According to her, the Rigasa project represents a worthwhile investment that will ease residents’ hardship and demonstrate the impact of targeted infrastructure development in underserved communities.Access Services

NDPHC Executive Director, Strategy and Commercial, Patrick Obahiagbon, commended the Kaduna state government and the community for their cooperation and support for the project.

The District Head of Rigasa, Mohammed Idris, also commended NDPHC’s management for its commitment to expanding electricity access in the community.

Oil & Energy

FG Commissions 640MW Transmission Capacity To National Grid

Published

7 days ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

As the federal government intensifies efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s power infrastructure, it has commissioned 640 megawatts (MW) of electricity transmission capacity to the national grid with an additional six transmission substations in Kano and Katsina states, respectively.

The projects comprise four substations at Walalambe, Kumbotso, Dakata and Dan-Agundi in Kano State, which collectively add 544MW of transmission capacity, and two 60 megavolt amperes (MVA) substations in Kankia Local Government Area of Katsina State, contributing another 96MW.

The additional capacity is expected to improve the transmission network’s ability to evacuate and deliver available electricity to distribution companies and consumers in the two states.

The Ministry of Power announced the developments in a statement issued at the weekend.

According to the statement, the additional capacity is expected to improve the transmission network’s ability to evacuate and deliver available electricity to distribution companies and consumers in the two states.

The projects, however, increase transmission capacity rather than electricity generation, implying that their impact on supply would depend partly on the availability of power from generating plants and the capacity of downstream distribution networks.

Speaking at the commissioning of the Kankia substation, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said the projects reflected President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to improving the country’s electricity infrastructure.

“Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda recognizes that economic ambition requires dependable infrastructure,” Tegbe said.

He added that investments in electricity infrastructure would strengthen the foundations for business expansion, employment and economic growth.

The Kankia substations comprise two 60 MVA, 132/33 kilovolt (kV) facilities designed to strengthen the transmission network serving Katsina State and neighbouring areas.

Tegbe said the infrastructure would improve the network’s ability to distribute available electricity, supporting commercial activities and household welfare.

He also urged residents to protect the facilities against vandalism and other activities that could disrupt electricity infrastructure, asking them to report suspicious activities to TCN or security agencies.

Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, described the project as a significant investment in the state’s electricity infrastructure.

Radda stated that improved electricity supply could support industrial development, economic growth and public service delivery.

He further commended the President, the Federal Ministry of Power and TCN for completing the project.

It would be noted that the latest projects come amid a broader government’s drive to address bottlenecks in Nigeria’s electricity transmission network, which has constrained the amount of electricity that can be delivered to distribution companies and end users.

Oil & Energy

NBTI Unveils $600m Investment Pipeline Innovation

Published

7 days ago

October 26, 2026

The Tide

The National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI) has unveiled an investment and development-finance pipeline exceeding $600 million, alongside a proposed solar energy programme targeting one million micro and small businesses across Nigeria.

The Director-General, NBTI, Dr Kazeem Raji, disclosed this while presenting the outcomes of the 2026 NextGen Innovation Challenge at a World Press Conference, Abuja.

Raji said the investment pipeline comprised a proposed $500m solar energy programme for universities and polytechnics, which would be developed in partnership with Gigawatt Global, and a $100m financing opportunity linked to the Tinubu Light Initiative under a memorandum of understanding with Financial Innovation for Impact, UK, also known as Cambridge Investors.

He, however, clarified that the funds had not been fully secured or disbursed, stressing that their realisation would depend on due diligence, financing arrangements, contractual commitments, regulatory approvals and implementation requirements.

“These figures represent proposed investment and financing opportunities and should not be interpreted as $600m already received, disbursed or fully deployed in Nigeria,” he said.

According to Raji, the initiative was designed to connect Nigerian innovators with international investors, business leaders and development partners to accelerate the commercialisation of indigenous technologies.

He said the challenge attracted 298 Nigerian innovators from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, up from 105 participants in 2025.

The innovations showcased covered artificial intelligence, robotics, agriculture, healthcare, education, renewable energy, telecommunications, digital technology, enterprise software, 3D printing and advanced manufacturing.

“Our message is straightforward: Nigeria’s innovators deserve visibility, our enterprises deserve opportunities to grow, and our technologies deserve pathways to the marketplace,” Raji said.

He added that NBTI’s priority was to move beyond showcasing ideas to helping innovators develop commercially viable products, establish sustainable businesses and create jobs.

The proposed Tinubu Light Initiative is expected to support one million micro and small businesses through access to solar energy solutions, with a proposed target of training and deploying 10,000 field marketers and creating 50,000 direct youth employment opportunities.

The initiative also targets N30bn in blended financing for its first phase and estimates annual economic benefits of about N12bn, subject to its underlying assumptions and implementation outcomes.

Raji said the programme was conceived to address the energy challenges facing small businesses, including high operating costs associated with unreliable electricity and dependence on petrol and diesel generators.

Tailors, barbers, hairdressers, pharmacies, food vendors, neighbourhood retailers, printing businesses and digital-service providers, he stated, are among the potential beneficiaries.

He said the initiative also envisaged opportunities to promote business formalisation and financial inclusion, particularly among informal enterprises, where appropriate arrangements could be established.

However, the NBTI director-general acknowledged that the programme’s success would depend on sound financing, transparent beneficiary selection, reliable equipment, maintenance arrangements and measurable delivery.

“Our vision is to make clean-energy access an enabler of enterprise development, not merely an infrastructure intervention,” he said.