Nigeria’s population is estimated at 201 million, of which 77 million do not have access to any electricity source, which is an essential driver of economic growth. Nigeria’s national grid will not provide universal coverage within the next decade based on current grid electrification rates, and hence a large part of the country will need off-grid solutions such as mini-grids and stand-alone solar systems to meet the country’s electrification target
The UK-funded Africa Clean Energy Technical Assistance Facility (ACE TAF) commissioned a nationwide study to assess the extent to which vulnerable communities have access to Stand-Alone Solar (SAS). It looked at trade and consumer segments in rural, peri-urban, and urban areas across 10 states (Abia, Ado Ekiti, Bauchi, Cross Rivers, Ebonyi, Edo, Kano, Kogi, Oyo and Plateau) in the country’s six geo-political regions. This study was carried out between June and September 2020 during the covid-19 pandemic, and also assessed the impact of the pandemic on traders and end users of SAS products.
Key Findings
- Just 13.6 per cent of trade outlets are currently stocking solar – pointing to a sizeable opportunity to
expand the market. - Consumers perceive SAS products as expensive and performing poorly
- Despite an evident need, most SAS traders do not offer after-sales services
- The trade in SAS is conducted almost exclusively in cash, not credit
- The trade is dominated by men, with only 4 per cent of shops stocking solar owned by women.