- The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) launched a solar mini-grid initiative in Nigeria to address the country’s unreliable power supply, supported by the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bezos Earth Fund.
- GEAPP completed its first mini-grid in December 2023, with two additional grids under construction and funding secured for a fourth, aiming to enhance electricity access for underserved communities.
- Nigeria has significant solar energy potential, receiving an average of six hours of sunlight daily. Plans are underway to implement further rural electricity projects that will benefit millions of citizens.
The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), a global climate organisation supported by the Rockefeller Foundation and the Bezos Earth Fund, is piloting a solar mini-grid initiative in Nigeria to address the nation’s unreliable power supply, which hampers productivity.
The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, established in 2021 in collaboration with the Ikea Foundation, completed the first interconnected mini-grid in December. Two additional grids are currently under construction, and funding has been secured for a fourth.
Operated by private developers, these mini-grids complement the limited electricity from the national grid, ensuring businesses and households stay powered continuously.
GEAPP’s Demand Aggregation for Renewable Technology (DART) program consolidates the needs of multiple developers to reduce solar equipment costs. It also manages a $25 million financing facility, enabling developers to secure funding in dollars for equipment imports, with repayment made in Nigeria’s naira once they begin generating revenue.
“You have those kind of under-served communities that require reliable power to power their homes and businesses,” said Fauzia Okediji, a utility innovation manager at Geapp, during an appearance on Bloomberg TV’s Wall Street Week.
Muhammad Wakil, the country delivery lead for the New York-based Geapp, said during an interview at the project site in Ogun state, “We need hundreds or thousands of these kinds of projects across Nigeria to end energy poverty. We have shown it’s a viable business model.”
Nigeria has the highest number of people without access to electricity globally, with about 86 million affected, while the rest of its 230 million population experiences limited power.
The national grid provides only 4,000 megawatts—roughly one-sixth of South Africa’s generation capacity, despite South Africa’s population being just a quarter of Nigeria’s. Frequent outages and occasional nationwide grid collapse further compound the country’s power challenges.
Nigeria has battled severe power challenges in the past week. The National grid collapsed three times in one week, bringing the total number of shutdowns in the year to nine.
Nigeria has significant solar energy potential, receiving an average of six hours of sunlight daily. The country’s estimated concentrated solar power and photovoltaic generation capacity is around 427,000 MW.
Earlier this month, the Director-General/CEO of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) announced the launch of a new rural electricity project next month, funded by the World Bank with $750 million. The project aims to provide electricity to 17.5 million Nigerians.