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Key Points
- Jeff Bezos partners with the Rockefeller Foundation to launch a solar mini-grid program in Nigeria, addressing the country's electricity access challenges.
- The initiative aims to provide reliable power to underserved communities, with plans for mini-grids in all 11 Nigerian power distribution regions.
- The program seeks to install 10 gigawatts of renewable energy mini-grids across Nigeria, enhancing productivity and reducing carbon emissions.
Jeff Bezos is partnering with the Rockefeller Foundation to launch a solar mini-grid program in Nigeria through his Bezos Earth Fund. This initiative, part of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), seeks to improve the country's inconsistent power supply. Over 86 million Nigerians still lack electricity, making it Africa's most populous nation.
Building on an earlier $22.8 million pledge to land restoration projects in Africa, the Bezos Earth Fund and Rockefeller Foundation plan to expand their efforts to boost renewable energy in Nigeria. This program has already seen the construction of the first interconnected mini-grid, with two more underway and funding secured for a fourth. The facilities, operated by private developers, provide reliable power to homes and businesses, supplementing the limited electricity available from the national grid.
“We need hundreds, if not thousands, of these kinds of projects across Nigeria to end energy poverty,” said Muhammad Wakil, country delivery lead for Geapp. The program aims to pilot mini-grids in each of the 11 power distribution regions in Nigeria, with a goal of eventually facilitating the installation of 10 gigawatts of renewable energy mini-grids across the country.
Energy solutions for Africa’s biggest economy
Nigeria, home to 230 million people, faces a severe energy crisis, with the national grid supplying just 4,000 megawatts—about one-sixth of what is available in South Africa, a country with a quarter of Nigeria’s population.
Power shortages have become a key factor limiting productivity, with regular blackouts and system collapses. The solar mini-grids, offering round-the-clock electricity, present a much-needed solution for underserved communities.
The Ogun State mini-grid, built by Nigerian developer Darway Coast, will provide continuous electricity to the local community, which currently receives only eight hours of power per day from Ikeja Electric Plc. This project, along with others, has gained support from major global institutions, including a $130 million pledge from the World Bank for similar developments.
Bezos Earth Fund targets carbon emission reduction
Geapp's Dart program is helping developers reduce solar equipment costs by up to 30 percent by pooling resources. These mini-grids work alongside the national grid, leveraging a new electricity act that promotes collaboration between public and private energy providers. "Instead of engaging them as competitors, it’s better to engage them as partners," said Fatima Haliru, power purchase manager at Ikeja Electric.
This approach is gaining momentum across Africa. The World Bank and African Development Bank's Mission 300 program has pledged $30 billion to provide electricity access to 300 million people by 2030. Wakil notes that the program draws heavily from Nigeria’s mini-grid experience, with plans to expand to 15 other African nations.
In addition to energy initiatives, Bezos has allocated $22.8 million to environmental restoration in the Greater Rift Valley and the Lake Kivu and Rusizi River Basin. This is part of the Bezos Earth Fund’s $1 billion global restoration strategy, targeting 600,000 hectares of land. The projects aim to eliminate up to 42 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by 2050, contributing to climate change efforts across Africa.
