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

The Mokoloki project demonstrates a new 'undergrid' business model where a private developer, Nayo Tropical Technologies, provides reliable electricity to a community within the territory of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC). The pilot has achieved 99.9 percent reliability, reduced energy costs for customers by ₦20/kWh, and decreased utility losses in the area by over 90 percent. The project supports local healthcare through 24/7 power for clinics and stimulates economic growth by powering small businesses and attracting new enterprises.

• The Mokoloki undergrid minigrid pilot has demonstrated high technical and economic performance, achieving 99.9 percent reliability and reducing the average cost of energy for customers by ₦20/kWh ($0.06/kWh). Additionally, the model reduced the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company's (IBEDC) losses in the community by more than 90 percent.
• The project utilizes a 'undergrid' business model based on a ten-year cooperative tripartite agreement between the utility (IBEDC), a private developer (Nayo Tropical Technologies), and community leaders. In this model, the private developer finances the generation assets and distribution upgrades to serve a community that is technically 'grid connected' but suffers from minimal service availability.
• Reliable electricity has improved community resilience and local services in Mokoloki, specifically by providing 24/7 power to the health clinic for vaccine refrigeration and lighting. It has also fostered economic development by powering water purification, metalworks, a bakery, and a hotel, while attracting interest from new businesses such as Green Farms and Mokoloki Millers.
• Lessons from the pilot indicate that extensive community engagement and the development of trust between the utility and the private developer were critical for success. The project also found that distribution infrastructure upgrades were more extensive than expected due to the poor condition of existing poles.

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} }