Africa is expected to install a record 17 gigawatts (GW) of solar power in 2026, with Nigeria projected to account for 1.7GW, according to an analysis by energy think tank Ember.

In a statement on Monday, it said installations rose by about 45 per cent year on year, after gains of 51 per cent in 2025 and 25 per cent in 2024.

It stated that Ember expects 36 of Africa’s 54 countries to set installation records this year.

The report identified six countries as gigawatt-scale solar markets based on its estimates: South Africa, with 3.3GW; Egypt, with 2GW; Nigeria, with 1.7GW; the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 1.7GW; Algeria, with 1.4GW; and Morocco, with 1GW.

“Year-on-year growth above 100 percent is estimated in 19 countries, including 544 percent in the DRC, 282 percent in Zimbabwe, 176 percent in Egypt and 117 percent in Zambia,” the statement read.

Ember said customs data and installer surveys were currently providing a better picture of Africa’s solar expansion than some national capacity registers because much of the growth was coming from distributed solar systems.

The report also cited progress under Mission 300, a World Bank Group and African Development Bank initiative aimed at expanding electricity access across Africa.

In June 2026, the institutions said more than 50 million people across 40 countries had been connected to electricity under the initiative since July 2023.

However, the pace of new connections remains below what is required to achieve universal electricity access by 2030.

The International Energy Agency has estimated that Africa needs about $15 billion annually to achieve universal electricity access, compared with less than $2.5 billion committed for new connections in sub-Saharan Africa in 2023.

Kowatek Solar said the Ember figures reflected a shift in Nigeria’s energy demand from reliance on emergency generators towards purpose-built solar and battery-storage systems.