This article explores the critical roles of feasibility studies and community engagement in successful mini-grid projects, using case studies from EM-ONE in Nigeria and the Utilities 2.0 Pilot Project in Uganda. https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/articles/empowering-communities-dual-rewards-of-renewable-energy
RMI highlights why Nigeria is the biggest mini-grid show on earth, with a US$8 billion annual revenue opportunity. It has the potential to electrify 14% of its population by building 10,000 mini-grids by 2023. https://www.powerforall.org/resources/fact-sheets-research-summaries/research-summary-nigeria-mini-grid-opportunity
Power for All and IRENA are partnering to explore gender dynamics in the DRE sector, a field ripe for increasing women's participation, as seen in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/articles/empowering-women-distributed-renewable-energy
In late 2018, Power for All conducted the first comprehensive jobs census of the decentralized renewable energy (DRE) sector, covering pico-solar appliances, solar home systems, standalone and grid-tied commercial and industrial systems, mini-grids and productive use applications such as solar water pumps. This summary synthesizes key findings in the three countries surveyed -- India, Kenya and Nigeria. https://www.powerforall.org/resources/fact-sheets-research-summaries/research-summary-jobs-decentralized-renewables-and-energy-transition
Download the Powering Jobs Census 2019: Focus on Nigeria, to understand the growing employment opportunity within the decentralized renewable energy (DRE) sector, and within the communities gaining access to electricity for the first time. In Nigeria, direct, formal DRE jobs are expected to boom more than 10 times by 2022-23. https://www.powerforall.org/resources/reports/powering-jobs-census-2019-focus-nigeria
Decentralized renewables have the potential to create up to 52,000 direct, formal and 24,000 informal jobs in Nigeria by 2022-23. https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/press-releases/first-annual-energy-access-jobs-census-released-showing-large-employment-opportunity-1
In December 2018, Power for All concluded -long Scaling Off-Grid Energy project which it co-implemented with FHI360 funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Power Africa. The project objective was to reduce the number of un-electrified people in Nigeria by increasing their access to modern, clean and affordable electricity through decentralized renewable energy (DRE) solutions. https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/articles/policymakers-nigerian-states-report-growth-dre-markets-seek-increased-cooperation
Nigeria has one of the greatest energy access challenges in the world, with an unelectrified population of 75 million people (SE4ALL, 2015). Decades of policy focused on grid expansion have not only failed to deliver improvements in energy access; they have failed to keep up with population growth. The unelectrified population has grown from 44 million in 1990 to 75 million in 2015—an increase of 70%. The cost of the energy access deficit is huge, and is borne by households, businesses and the government. https://www.powerforall.org/resources/action-plans/nigeria-call-action
Nigeria's post-harvest losses are put at $9 billion, accounting for nearly 70% of global post-harvest loss due to lack of power to drive agro-allied processing. Powering agriculture with decentralized clean energy solutions can play a critical role in reducing food losses and increasing farmers’ revenues. https://www.powerforall.org/insights/impact/3-pathways-powering-agriculture-nigeria
Habiba Ali, the dynamic founder and CEO of Nigeria’s SOSAI Renewable Energies, and vice president of the Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN), talked to Power for All about scaling mini-grids, what’s still needed to ensure rural electrification targets, and the importance of getting more women leaders into the DRE sector. https://www.powerforall.org/news-media/interviews/conversation-habiba-ali-of-sosai-renewable-energies