Electrifying Communities, Empowering Livelihoods

This case study describes RMI's efforts since 2017 to increase energy access in Nigeria through decentralized solar hybrid minigrids, community-centric ownership models, and the promotion of productive energy use in agriculture and industry.

• RMI has implemented interconnected solar hybrid minigrids to provide reliable power to communities that are connected to the national grid but suffer from intermittent supply. In Zawaciki, Kano state, a 1-MW system installed in January 2024 increased power availability from roughly four hours per day to between 16 and 20 hours for 1,000 homes.
• The "Sharing the Power" model allows communities to partially co-own minigrid facilities and participate in governance. This strategy enables residents to contribute land, labor, or security as equity and allows the community to invest a percentage of energy sale revenues into local development projects like schools or healthcare facilities.
• To ensure the viability of energy infrastructure, RMI launched the Energizing Agriculture Programme (EAP) to stimulate "productive use of energy." The program deployed 269 pieces of equipment, including electric mills, freezers, and vehicles, across 17 minigrid communities to support five agricultural value chains.
• RMI's commercial and industrial minigrid model targets large manufacturers to displace high-emitting diesel generators. This model can reduce carbon pollution by approximately 33 million tons per year, which represents about 8 percent of Nigeria's total 2022 emissions, while saving businesses up to 25 percent on energy costs.
• The Energy Transition Academy (ETA) was established to address technical skill gaps in Nigeria. Its first cohort, launched in 2022, included 20 professionals from four utility companies, focusing on the implementation of battery storage, microgrids, and utility-scale solar PV.
• RMI has formed strategic partnerships to scale renewable energy, including a memorandum of understanding with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority to develop bankable projects and discussions with Dangote Industries Limited regarding biofuel and emissions reductions for their truck fleet.

APA

RMI (2024). Electrifying Communities, Empowering Livelihoods. https://rmi.org/resources/electrifying-communities-empowering-livelihoods/

Chicago

RMI. Electrifying Communities, Empowering Livelihoods. 2024. https://rmi.org/resources/electrifying-communities-empowering-livelihoods/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Electrifying Communities, Empowering Livelihoods |date=5 November 2024 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/electrifying-communities-empowering-livelihoods/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2024electrifying, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Electrifying Communities, Empowering Livelihoods}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2024}, month = nov, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/electrifying-communities-empowering-livelihoods/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }