- Nigeria ranked 4th in Africa for solar energy adoption in 2024, adding 63.5 MWp of capacity, bringing its total installed capacity to 385.7 MWp.
- Despite the growth, solar energy still accounts for only 1.6% of Nigeria’s overall energy mix, with solar installations in Africa reaching 2.5 GWp in 2024.
A recent report by the Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) has recognised Nigeria as one of the top African countries leveraging solar energy. In 2024, the nation added 63.5 Megawatt peak (MWp) of solar capacity. This increase brought Nigeria’s total installed solar capacity to 385.7 MWp by the end of the year, according to the AFSIA Africa Solar Outlook 2025.
The report highlights that Nigeria’s growing interest in solar energy is primarily driven by the removal of fuel subsidies, which has prompted many Nigerians to seek solar as an affordable alternative. “Nigeria has started to feel the positive effects of the fuel subsidy removal, with increased interest in solar-plus-storage solutions as a cheaper option than diesel,” the report stated.
Regarding solar energy leadership, South Africa remains the top performer and the only African country in the “Gigawatt Club.” Egypt surged to second place, benefiting from the commissioning of two projects in Kom Ombo, while Zambia, dealing with severe load-shedding, ranked third due to its shift to solar power.
Nigeria secured the fourth spot as rising energy costs from the national grid and the subsidy removal drove more Nigerians to adopt solar energy. Angola reentered the top five, completing its utility-scale projects launched two years ago, with two 27 MWp projects from MCA and Sun Africa.
The report also revealed a global surge in solar installations, with 503 GWp installed in 2024, representing a 44% increase from 2023. In Africa, new installations reached 2.5 GWp, maintaining a steady level of growth after record-breaking years in 2022 and 2023. Despite the rise, solar energy in Africa still accounts for less than 1% of the global solar market.
AFSIA CEO Mr John van Zuylen discussed the report at the Powerelec Nigeria conference in Lagos, noting that although solar adoption is expanding across the continent, the market remains concentrated. In 2024, South Africa and Egypt accounted for nearly 80% of all new solar installations, with 50% and 29% shares, respectively.
However, the CEO pointed to numerous new solar projects in various stages of development across other African nations, which may lead to a more even distribution of solar energy in the coming years.
The report also highlighted countries where solar energy plays a significant role in national electricity generation. The Central African Republic leads the continent with over 40% of its grid electricity coming from solar, followed by Mauritania (20.7%), Namibia (13.4%), Somalia (11.6%), Malawi (11.4%), The Gambia (10.6%), and Cape Verde (10.5%).
While Nigeria’s solar capacity has increased, solar energy still contributes only 1.6% to the country’s overall energy mix as of 2024.