Electrifying Communities, Empowering Livelihoods

RMI is implementing diverse decentralized energy solutions in Nigeria to address the fact that over 85 million people lack sustainable electricity. The organization has deployed interconnected minigrids in locations like Zawaciki, Abuja, and Nasarawa, and a community-centric 'Sharing the Power' model in Mokoloki where residents co-own the facility. To ensure economic viability, the Energizing Agriculture Programme (EAP) integrates solar power with agricultural machinery, such as electric mills and cold storage, across 17 communities. RMI also targets industrial emissions through commercial and industrial minigrids, which can reduce carbon pollution by approximately 33 million tons per year. Additionally, the Energy Transition Academy (ETA) provides technical training to utility professionals to scale these initiatives.

• RMI has deployed an interconnected minigrid model that combines solar panels, battery storage, and backup generators, connecting to the regional distribution network to serve communities with unreliable grid power. This model is active in Zawaciki, where 1,000 homes now receive 16 to 20 hours of power daily, as well as in Wuse market in Abuja and the Toto community in Nasarawa, collectively serving over 4,000 homes and businesses and generating over 1.3 MW.
• The 'Sharing the Power' model implemented in Mokoloki and three other Nigerian communities allows residents to partially co-own the minigrid and participate in a governing council. Community members can contribute land, labor, or security services as equity, and a portion of energy sales revenue is invested back into community development projects like schools or healthcare facilities.
• To prevent infrastructure failure caused by low energy demand in rural areas, RMI launched the Energizing Agriculture Programme (EAP). This initiative paired energy and agriculture companies to deploy 269 pieces of equipment, including electric mills and freezers, across five value chains in 17 minigrid communities to enable productive use of energy.
• RMI's commercial and industrial minigrid model targets large corporations and SMEs to displace high-emitting diesel and gas generators. This approach 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 in 2022 included 20 professionals from four utility companies, providing training in utility-scale solar PV, battery storage, and microgrid projects.
• RMI has established strategic partnerships to scale renewable energy in Nigeria, including a memorandum of understanding with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority to unlock bankable projects and discussions with Dangote Industries Limited regarding sustainability goals such as biofuel and fleet emission reductions.

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} }