Nigeria Eases Regulations to Let Businesses and Citizens Supply Power Independently
Nigeria has simplified its regulatory framework for off-grid and mini-grid electricity generation, reducing barriers for private businesses and individuals to supply power independently. The change is expected to unlock private energy investment at scale in underserved areas across the country.
Nigeria's Grid: registering a solar system beats getting a licence
Nigeria's electricity regulator has done something genuinely useful: if your solar setup is under 100 kilowatts, you no longer need a formal licence to generate and sell power — just register.
That single change is the unlock. Licensing was the wall that kept small builders, landlords and businesses from investing in generation capacity they already wanted to build. Felix Chibuzor's Abuja condominium — oversizing its solar deliberately to sell the surplus — is exactly what happens when that wall comes down.
With 85 million Nigerians still without electricity and a grid that collapses at least once a quarter, the only realistic path to closing that gap is millions of small decisions by private actors. This rule change makes those decisions cheaper and faster to act on.
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- Nigeria makes it easier for businesses and citizens to supply power · african.business · T2