In 2022, Nigeria launched its Energy Transition Plan (ETP) with the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2060. This plan aims to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by providing solar electrical grids in rural communities, giving crucial technological access.

Nigeria is home to 12% of the global population of people living in extreme poverty, with energy poverty affecting 45% of Nigerians. The ETP plans to tackle energy poverty in Nigeria, and while previous energy solutions have been lacking, government and organizational groups may be able to help combat climate change and poverty together.

The Road to Renewable Energy

The 2022 Energy Transition Plan is an addendum to Nigeria’s Renewable Energy Master Plan (REMP) launched in 2005, which aimed for 23% of Nigeria’s energy to be renewable. As of 2022, Nigeria only has 16.4% of its energy coming from renewable sources, with a decrease over the past few years. While renewable energy may have stagnated, overall electrification in Rural Nigerian communities has skyrocketed.

In 2020, the Nigerian government introduced the Mass Rural Electrification Act, which aimed to provide power to rural communities’ schools and health care facilities. Between 2020 and 2022, more thanz 2,000 electrification projects managed to supply electricity to an estimated 5 million Nigerians. Electrifying these communities has led to improved health care and job security.

Impediments to Progress

Because of high poverty rates, Nigeria’s Energy Transition plan faces significant challenges. While electrifying rural areas aids in the reduction of poverty, many Nigerians still struggle to meet other financial needs. This makes renewable energy a secondary issue for rural communities and is only exacerbated by Nigeria’s low economic development.

An interview with Nigeria’s Director General of Energy Commission, Professor Eli Jidere Bala, in February of 2023 shed some light on issues with the Energy Transition Plan. Professor Bala stated that while the ETP is achievable, the lack of proper implementation has obstructed development. This coupled with a lack of funding and a reliance on imports, makes installing domestic infrastructure near impossible.

Enabling private sector investment and emphasizing innovation that makes climate-friendly technology more accessible for Nigerians are crucial if Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan hopes to achieve its goals.

Making Renewable Energy a Reality

Support for funding Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan isn’t absent. In May of 2023, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), a nonprofit founded in 1982, collaborated with the Lagos Energy Academy to host a fellowship program to discuss the future of renewable energy in Nigeria. RMI hopes that with leadership and innovation, they can work towards helping communities shift towards renewable energy sources. With proper implementation, Nigeria’s Energy Transition plan will provide 340,000 jobs to Nigerians by 2030, and help reduce energy poverty for countless more.

The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) is another nonprofit, which provides support and funding for renewable energy. Using solar-powered “mini-grids,” which connect to existing low-function electricity grids, assists energy-impoverished communities in having access to a consistent electrical connection.

Poverty, especially energy poverty, is startlingly high in Nigeria. While the government pushes for more renewable energy development to satisfy Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan, without funding and implementation, the barriers that prevent Nigerians from rural electrification will not be broken. Hopefully, the government will utilize local innovation and assistance from nonprofits such as RMI and GEAPP to assist poverty-stricken communities and achieve the goals set by the ETP at the same time.

– Inaya Lala
Photo: Flickr