Technical Lead for Mission 300 in Nigeria, Dayo Olowoniyi, has said distributed solar is critical to reaching over 70 million Nigerians who currently have no electricity.

Mr Olowoniyi ​‌⁠​‍‍⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌​⁠​​‌‌​said this at a renewable energy product launch organised by Sun King on Friday in Lagos.

Mr Olowoniyi said Nigeria recorded over five million new off-grid connections between 2025 and 2026, adding that distributed solar is one of the fastest ways to extend electricity to underserved communities.

According to him, the Federal Government’s DARES programme, implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), offers capital subsidies to renewable energy firms to reduce the cost of solar for Nigerians..

Mr Olowoniyi said the programme, supported by the World Bank with $750 million, is helping companies deploy solar equipment in rural and low-income communities that otherwise could not afford it.

“The Federal Government cannot do it alone,” Mr Olowoniyi said, stressing the need for more participation by state governments and the private sector to deepen solar penetration in Nigeria.

He said Mission 300, which seeks to connect more than 300 million Africans to electricity, was monitoring the pace of new connections and deployment of solar home systems and productive-use equipment in Nigeria.

Mr Olowoniyi said sustained access to capital and stronger private-sector participation would be required to maintain the pace of electricity connections.

Also, Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Climate Change and Circular Economy, Titilayo Osodi, said renewable energy could improve the productivity of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) while supporting the state’s climate and sustainable-development goals.

Ms Oshodi said reliable energy could enable businesses to operate equipment such as freezers and other appliances, while supporting activities linked to education, food preservation, water and sanitation.

She said financing options that enable households and businesses to pay for renewable energy systems in installments could improve access for people at the lower end of the socio-economic ladder.

Ms Oshodi said more deployment of renewable-energy solutions to MSMEs could boost commercial activity and contribute to economic growth in Lagos State.

The Country Business Manager, Sun King Nigeria, Lisbon Ogunsanmi, said the company’s monthly solar-system sales had risen from about 3,000 units to around 100,000 units, reflecting growing demand for alternative energy solutions.

Mr Ogunsanmi said the company had trained over 200 installers and operated over 136 shops, with after-sales teams across the country.

He identified affordability as a major barrier to solar adoption, saying many households and businesses could not afford to pay the full cost of a solar system upfront.

He said financing models that allowed customers to make regular payments over time could help bridge the affordability gap and enable more businesses to access reliable power.

The Vice President, Pay-As-You-Go Sales, West and Central Africa, Sun King, Omoyemi Tuga, said the company had introduced a 5 KVA Power Hub system, expandable to 30 KVA, and a 210-litre Power Freeze for households and businesses.

Mr Tuga said the Power Freeze could operate with solar power during the day and battery power at night, while the Power Hub could support homes, businesses, schools and hospitals.

He said the company’s ‘EasyBuy’ financing model enabled customers to make an initial payment and subsequently pay weekly or monthly over one to two years, depending on the product.

Mr Tuga said customers could access the 5 KVA Power Hub with a down payment from N340,000, while the Power Freeze would be commercially available soon.

Also, the Vice President, Global Affairs and Marketing, Sun King, Catherine Mudachi, said the financing model was designed to enable small businesses to pay for energy equipment from their business income rather than make the full payment upfront.

Ms Mudachi said the model allowed customers to work toward ownership of the equipment while spreading the cost over time.

She said collaboration among government, private-sector operators and financiers remained important to expanding access to reliable and affordable electricity, particularly for underserved households and businesses.

 (NAN)