Nigeria Joins Africa's Fastest-Growing Solar Markets

Nigeria has emerged as one of the leading markets for small-scale solar investment in Sub-Saharan Africa as rising electricity prices and unreliable power supply drive households and businesses towards renewable energy solutions, a new report by BloombergNEF has revealed. The report, released on Wednesday, analysed clean energy developments across 16 Sub-Saharan African markets. The report, titled Sub-Saharan Africa Clean Energy Market Outlook 2026, found that clean energy investment across the region reached a record $13.5bn in 2025, with Nigeria identified as one of the largest markets driving small-scale solar growth. According to the report, economic considerations, rather than climate ambition or government policy, are increasingly becoming the primary drivers of the region’s clean energy transition. It said rising electricity prices had accelerated solar adoption in Nigeria, alongside South Africa and Kenya, as consumers and businesses sought alternatives to expensive and unreliable grid electricity.