Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, stands at a crossroads. While the country boasts vast oil reserves and abundant renewable energy potential, millions of its citizens remain trapped in energy poverty. This crisis goes beyond kilowatts and grid connections – it’s about restoring justice to our energy system. Climate justice demands that we dismantle the barriers preventing poor farmers in Niger State from accessing the same renewable opportunities as bankers in Lekki. Yet, for rural farmers, urban slum dwellers, women, and conflict-affected communities in the North, this remains a distant dream.

The consequences are dire. Families breathe toxic fumes from kerosene lamps, children study under flickering candlelight, and hospitals rely on erratic diesel generators. Meanwhile, the climate crisis worsens, with deforestation and carbon emissions accelerating. This post explores who is being left behind, why it’s happening, and how Nigeria can forge a path toward equitable renewable energy access.

WHO PAYS THE PRICE FOR NIGERIA’S ENERGY GAP?

Rural Communities Remain in the Dark Amid Energy Progress

Travel beyond Nigeria’s bustling cities, and you’ll find villages where darkness still reigns after sunset. Nearly half of Nigeria’s population resides in rural areas, yet fewer than 30% have access to reliable electricity. These communities—scattered across the Niger Delta’s creeks, the arid plains of the North, and the Middle Belt’s farmlands—depend on firewood, kerosene, and diesel generators.

For a rural woman in Ogun State, cooking means spending hours gathering firewood and breathing in harmful smoke that damages her lungs. For a farmer in Sokoto, the lack of refrigeration means his tomatoes rot before reaching the market. The national grid barely reaches them, and when it does, power is sporadic.

Why has renewable energy bypassed these communities? The reasons are systemic. Government electrification programs tend to prioritize urban centers, where returns on investment are generally higher. Solar home systems and mini-grids are available, but high upfront costs make them inaccessible to subsistence farmers earning less than $2 a day. Without access to financing options or policy interventions, rural Nigerians remain trapped in a cycle of energy poverty.

The Urban Poor Trapped Between Tariff Bands and Generator Economy

Even in Lagos, Nigeria’s economic hub, millions live without reliable electricity, while being subjected to an inequitable tariff system. Nigeria’s electricity consumers are classified into bands A-E based on their daily supply hours, with Band A (20+ hours daily) paying the highest tariffs, while Band E (0-4 hours) pays the least. However, this pricing structure masks deeper inequalities. In sprawling slums like Makoko and Ajegunle, families nominally classified under Band E still spend up to half their income on fuel for generators and kerosene lamps because the official supply of electricity comes unpredictably at odd hours. The hum of generators remains the soundtrack of Nigerian cities—a constant, expensive, and polluting necessity that the tariff bands fail to reflect.

The system presents a harsh irony for impoverished urban workers such as petty traders, local artisans, and transport riders. They live in the shadows of skyscrapers and gated communities that enjoy near-24/7 power (and can afford the Band A tariffs), yet their own homes are plunged into darkness whenever the grid fails. The privatization of Nigeria’s power sector created perverse incentives where distribution companies (DisCos) focus on high-revenue commercial customers while neglecting low-income areas where revenue collection is difficult, regardless of tariff classifications.

The consequences are far-reaching. Children struggle to study under the flickering light of kerosene lamps, despite their households being nominally connected to the grid. Small businesses lose productivity during frequent outages, and respiratory illnesses from generator fumes remain rampant. The promise of solar energy becomes even more elusive for these families, as the irregular power supply traps them in a cycle where they must still pay electricity bills while simultaneously funding their alternative power solutions, making pay-as-you-go solar systems unaffordable for daily wage earners caught in this double burden.

Energy Poverty’s Hidden Toll on Women and Girls

In Nigeria, energy poverty has a woman’s face. From fuelwood collection to smoke-choked kitchens and powerless homes, women endure the harshest consequences of energy poverty. The time spent gathering fuel could instead be used for education or income-generating work, but cultural norms and financial barriers keep them tethered to outdated energy sources.

A young girl in a Bauchi village misses school because she must trek miles to fetch firewood. A mother in Enugu develops chronic bronchitis from years of cooking with kerosene. These stories are not exceptions—they are the norm for millions of Nigerian women.

Women continue to be largely overlooked when energy-related decisions are being made. Policies are often drafted without considering the needs of female entrepreneurs, and financing mechanisms rarely reach those who could champion solar solutions in their communities. Until gender is mainstreamed into Nigeria’s energy transition, half the population will continue to suffer disproportionately.

Northern Nigeria’s Triple Crisis – Energy, Conflict, and Climate

The North presents perhaps Nigeria’s most complex energy challenge. States like Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa grapple with insurgency, desertification, and extreme poverty. Electrification rates in this region are among the lowest in the country, with many communities remaining entirely off-grid.

For a displaced family in Maiduguri, access to energy is the least of their worries—survival comes first. Yet, without power, their prospects for rebuilding lives diminish. Hospitals rely on expensive diesel generators, schools operate without light, and farmers lack irrigation systems to combat worsening droughts.

The region’s instability deters renewable energy investments, leaving communities dependent on charcoal, a significant contributor to deforestation. Meanwhile, climate change exacerbates the crisis, as shrinking Lake Chad and advancing deserts push more people into poverty.

WHY IS RENEWABLE ENERGY NOT REACHING THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST?

• Policy Shortfalls and Implementation Gaps: While Nigeria has developed numerous energy policy frameworks, including the REA’s rural electrification schemes and the ambitious Solar Power Naija initiative, implementation consistently stalls amid bureaucratic hurdles, corruption, and insufficient government commitment. Mini-grid projects stall in the approval phase, and subsidies for clean energy rarely trickle down to the poorest.
• The Financing Dilemma: Renewable energy requires upfront investment—a barrier for low-income households. Microfinance options are limited, and high interest rates deter potential adopters. Even when pay-as-you-go solar systems are available, the poorest Nigerians still struggle with the initial deposit.
• Cultural Resistance and Mistrust: Following decades of unfulfilled government promises, many Nigerians harbor mistrust towards new energy initiatives. Rural communities, burned by past failed projects, often prefer the “devil they know”—firewood and kerosene—over unfamiliar solar technology. Without community engagement and education, adoption rates remain low.

HOW DO WE BUILD A FAIR RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEM?

1. Localized Renewable Solutions: The path forward for Nigeria’s energy sector may lie in localized renewable solutions rather than traditional grid expansion. Community-based solar projects and individual home systems present viable alternatives that can quickly address electricity shortages in remote areas. Policy makers should focus on removing bureaucratic obstacles and offering financial incentives to encourage private investment in these technologies.
2. Clean Cooking Revolution: Replacing firewood and kerosene with LPG and ethanol stoves should be a national priority. Subsidies, awareness campaigns, and women-led cooperatives can drive adoption, saving both lives and forests.
3. Urban Energy Justice: Accelerating Slum Electrification through Solar Microgrids. Initiatives like Lagos’s proposed “Clean Energy Swap” (replacing generators with solar systems) could transform cities.
4. Northern Nigeria’s Green Recovery: Humanitarian-Energy Partnerships Can Bring Solar Power to Conflict Zones. Solar-powered irrigation, clinics, and schools can help rebuild the North while combating climate change.
5. Empowering Women as Energy Leaders: From training female solar technicians to funding women-led energy enterprises, gender inclusion must be at the heart of Nigeria’s energy transition.

The Time for Climate Justice Is Now

Nigeria cannot afford to wait. Every day without action deepens inequality and environmental degradation. The keys to transformation are available; now we just need our combined action.

The government must prioritize the marginalized. Businesses must innovate affordable solutions. Local populations should actively advocate for equitable access to sustainable energy solutions, while global partners need to support Nigeria’s transition toward environmentally responsible energy systems.

This Post was submitted by Climate Scorecard Nigeria Country Manager, Michael Johnson