Nigerians are increasingly turning to solar power as inadequate electricity supply from the national grid drives demand for alternative energy sources, with the country’s annual solar installations potentially exceeding 200 megawatts in 2026, according to the Africa Solar Industry Association.
The association’s Director of Operations, Benjamin Clarke, disclosed this on Thursday while announcing the 2026 edition of the Renewable Energy Forum Africa, scheduled to hold on 25 and 26 November in Lagos.
Clarke said Nigeria’s annual solar installations rose from about 15 megawatts in 2019 to 123MW in 2024, as approximately 79MW was added in 2025.He said about 89MW of new solar capacity has already become operational in 2026, while another 115MW remained under construction. If completed within the year, he said, the combined capacity would push new installations above 200MW, marking the highest annual addition recorded in the association’s data for Nigeria.According to him, the country’s inadequate grid supply has encouraged businesses to seek alternatives, particularly solar power, to reduce their dependence on diesel generators.
“Nigeria is also a very impressive commercial and industrial solar market. Think of factories, hotels, offices, shopping centres, and other industrial segments installing their own solar. The national grid falls far short of what Nigeria needs, so many businesses, instead, rely on diesel generators for backup power. And that’s a big reason why solar is taking off,“ he said, adding that Nigeria’s C&I solar segment has grown about 32 per cent per year since 2021, equating to roughly three times as much capacity.
He added that Nigeria ranks second in Africa for annual commercial and industrial solar installations in 2024, behind South Africa, with about 82MW installed during the year.According to Clarke, Nigeria has approximately 620MW of operational solar capacity, making it the leading country in West Africa, ahead of Senegal with about 425MW.