Boosting Community Resilience by Building Nigeria’s First Solar- and Battery-Powered Undergrid Minigrid

This case study describes the implementation of Nigeria's first solar- and battery-powered undergrid minigrid in the Mokoloki community of Ogun State. The project demonstrates a tripartite business model involving a utility, a private developer, and the community to provide reliable electricity in areas that are technically grid-connected but underserved.

• The Mokoloki undergrid minigrid, which came online in February 2020, was implemented through a collaboration between the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), Nayo Tropical Technologies (Nayo Tech), and Mokoloki community leaders, with support from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and the Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
• The project utilizes an 'undergrid' business model based on a ten-year tripartite agreement where Nayo Tech privately financed the generation assets and distribution upgrades to serve the community within the utility's territory.
• Initial performance data indicates the minigrid has achieved 99.9 percent reliability and reduced the average cost of energy for customers by ₦20/kWh ($0.06/kWh), while reducing IBEDC's losses in the community by more than 90 percent.
• The reliable electricity supply has improved local healthcare by providing 24/7 power for vaccine and medication refrigeration and has stimulated economic activity by powering water purification, metalworks, a bakery, and a hotel, while attracting new businesses such as electric mobility company MAX.

APA

RMI (2020). Boosting Community Resilience by Building Nigeria’s First Solar- and Battery-Powered Undergrid Minigrid. https://rmi.org/resources/community-resilience-through-nigerias-first-undergrid-minigrid/

Chicago

RMI. Boosting Community Resilience by Building Nigeria’s First Solar- and Battery-Powered Undergrid Minigrid. 2020. https://rmi.org/resources/community-resilience-through-nigerias-first-undergrid-minigrid/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Boosting Community Resilience by Building Nigeria’s First Solar- and Battery-Powered Undergrid Minigrid |date=21 July 2020 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/community-resilience-through-nigerias-first-undergrid-minigrid/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2020boosting, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Boosting Community Resilience by Building Nigeria’s First Solar- and Battery-Powered Undergrid Minigrid}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2020}, month = jul, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/community-resilience-through-nigerias-first-undergrid-minigrid/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }