Nigeria Targets 209,000MW Solar Capacity by 2050 as 53 Projects Worth $11bn Take Off
By Aboki Forex —
Nigeria is pushing ahead with an ambitious plan to expand electricity generation to 209,000 megawatts by 2050, driven largely by solar power. According to a report by IIR, 53 large-scale renewable solar projects valued at about $11 billion are currently under way across the country.
The projects are part of a growing pipeline of solar investments aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s energy mix and improving electricity access, especially in underserved communities. IIR said the projects reflect rising investor interest in the country’s renewable energy sector.
In addition to utility-scale developments, the Federal Government is deploying more than 1,300 solar mini-grids and off-grid systems through the Rural Electrification Agency. The programme includes 250 interconnected mini-grids designed to feed electricity directly into the national grid. The goal is to stabilise supply and reduce reliance on diesel generators in off-grid areas.
The initiative is backed by $750 million in public funding and is expected to attract an additional $1.1 billion in private sector investment, according to the REA.
REA: ‘Biggest publicly funded renewable project in the world’
REA Managing Director Abba Aliyu described the programme as a landmark intervention. “For the first time, we are witnessing the implementation of the biggest publicly funded renewable electricity project in the entire world. It is a $750m project that will catalyse $1.1bn in private sector funding to deploy 1,350 mini-grids across the country,” he said.
Aliyu added that the Federal Government is repositioning renewable energy as the country’s primary alternative electricity source. “It’s the easiest and most economically viable means of powering the country, and we have an abundance of renewable energy sources. President Bola Tinubu is positioning Nigeria now to be the renewable hub of Africa, and there is a structured programme which will see 17.5 million Nigerians provided with electricity in just three years,” he said.
Nigeria has already installed over 1,000 mini-grids nationwide, with more than half financed by the REA. The World Bank-backed Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up programme is also accelerating rural electrification through solar mini-grids, standalone systems, and storage solutions. The initiative aims to replace over 250,000 diesel generators across the country.
According to the Global Solar Council, Nigeria added 803MW of solar capacity in 2025, bringing total installed solar capacity to approximately 1,019MW.
Nigeria’s renewable energy expansion aligns with the World Bank-backed Mission 300 initiative, which seeks to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030. Since its launch in January 2025, the programme has delivered electricity access to 44 million people across Africa.
Gas-fired plants remain the dominant source of electricity in Nigeria, but renewables now account for about 23 per cent of the energy mix, largely from hydropower and solar. The Federal Government has set a target of 30 per cent renewable energy by 2030 and 82 per cent by 2050, as part of its long-term energy transition and net-zero 2060 commitment. Most of the future capacity growth is expected to come from solar, with Nigeria aiming for 209,000MW of installed solar capacity by 2050.