In a candid admission that speaks volumes about Nigeria’s ongoing electricity crisis, Biodun Ogunleye, Lagos State commissioner for energy, told the audience at the recent BusinessDay’s energy event, “I’m one of those people whose house is not on the grid, full disclosure.”
This remark, though personal, echoes a broader trend that is reshaping how Nigeria’s wealthiest households and businesses manage their energy needs.
As the national grid continues to falter under the weight of aging infrastructure, inadequate capacity, and mismanagement, solar energy is rapidly becoming the preferred solution for the country’s upper class.
From the exclusive enclaves of Banana Island and Ikoyi to the sprawling high-brow estates of Ikeja GRA, Gbagada, and Ogudu, solar panels have become the new status symbol, a visible testament to Nigeria’s upper class taking energy security into their own hands amid the nation’s unending power crisis.
For decades, the hum of diesel generators was the pervasive soundtrack of urban Nigeria, a costly and noisy symbol of a deeply unreliable national grid. Businesses and wealthy households alike endured exorbitant fuel costs, incessant maintenance, and the environmental burden of carbon emissions and noise pollution.
The promise of stable electricity remained a distant dream, a recurring election slogan that never quite materialised into a tangible reality.
Now, however, the nation’s elite, weary of waiting, are powering their lives with the abundant tropical sun.
“It’s not just about comfort anymore; it’s about control,” said Emeka Okoro, a tech entrepreneur residing in a sprawling villa in Ikoyi.
His roof is a mosaic of photovoltaic panels, quietly harnessing the sun’s energy.
“Before, every meeting, every crucial email, every moment with my family was punctuated by the dreaded ‘NEPA took light.’ Now, it’s seamless. The lights don’t flicker. My air conditioning runs all night. It’s a completely different quality of life,” Okoro said.
Once seen as a fringe or backup option, solar energy is now being embraced as the primary source of electricity by Nigeria’s wealthiest citizens.
“It’s not just about convenience anymore; it’s a necessity,” said Uzoamaka Onuoha, a tech entrepreneur, who recently outfitted her six-bedroom Ikoyi home with a 15kVA solar system. “I run my business from home. I need reliable power 24/7, and I just couldn’t get that from the grid.”
Uzoamaka’s frustration echoes a nationwide concern. Despite decades of investments and reforms, Nigeria’s power grid remains notoriously unreliable.
With an installed capacity of over 12,000 megawatts.(MW), the country barely manages to transmit 4,000 to 4,500MW on most days. Rolling blackouts, voltage fluctuations, and unexpected system collapses have become the norm.
For Nigeria’s elite, many of whom manage multinational companies, high-stakes investments, or remote digital enterprises, the cost of power failure is simply too high.
Solar as new status symbol
In these affluent neighbourhoods, the shift to solar is not only practical, it’s also fashionable.
“People now consider solar panels an integral part of luxury living,” said Kunle Bamidele, a property developer, who specialises in high-end residential projects
Kunle revealed that nearly 80 percent of the properties he’s developed in the last two years were equipped with pre-installed solar systems, some integrated discreetly into rooftops or even designed to enhance architectural aesthetics.
“We’re not just talking about panels,” he noted. “There’s a whole infrastructure: lithium-ion batteries, smart inverters, energy monitoring apps. It’s high-tech, it’s green, and most importantly, it works.”
For the wealthy, the initial cost, often running into tens of millions of naira, is no longer a deterrent. What was once seen as a steep investment is now justified by the return in convenience, sustainability, and long-term savings.
With few signs of improvement in Nigeria’s power supply, civil society campaigners have criticised the government’s approval of the multi-million-dollar solar system at the sprawling Aso Rock presidential residence in the capital, Abuja.
A spokesperson for President Bola Tinubu said the initial investment would soon be clawed back through savings on electricity bills.
But solar for the rich and government officials is not the equitable shift to greener electricity that Africa’s policymakers should be working to implement, said Joshua Alade, founder of Network of Youth for Sustainable Initiative, a youth-led civil society organisation based in Nigeria.
“This current trend of renewables being accessible mainly to the affluent is far from what we advocate for,” Alade told Climate Home, adding that government efforts to foster renewable energy must focus on vulnerable communities “historically left behind by traditional energy systems.”
Economics of energy independence
The math behind the switch is compelling. A robust home solar system with high-capacity batteries may cost between N8 million and N25 million, depending on size and quality. But when compared to the alternative, running diesel or petrol generators daily, with fluctuating fuel prices, maintenance costs, and noise pollution, the long-term benefits become apparent.
“In my Gbagada home, I used to spend about N180,000 monthly on diesel alone,” said Tunde Lawal, a retired banker turned real estate investor. “Now with solar, my power bills are almost negligible. Plus, I don’t have to deal with the noise or toxic fumes anymore.”
For households that once juggled between the unreliable grid and costly generators, solar energy provides a cleaner, quieter, and ultimately more dependable solution.
A growing industry
As demand surges, Nigeria’s solar industry is booming. Local and international solar companies are rapidly expanding their operations, hiring more engineers, and offering flexible financing options to attract high-net-worth clients.
BusinessDay’s findings show that the cost of imported solar systems in Nigeria ranges from N400,000 for a basic setup to N20 million for a comprehensive off-grid solution, catering to varying energy demands and degrees of self-sufficiency.
Basic systems (N400,000) offer an affordable entry into solar energy, while more sophisticated configurations deliver higher long-term savings. For instance, Juwon Adesanya, a social media strategist, spent N4 million in 2024 on a 5kva solar setup, complete with six 400w panels and a 5.12kWh lithium battery, which runs multiple household appliances like TVs, freezers, laptops, and a washing machine.
For higher energy needs, premium systems (N10–N30 million) ensure near-complete grid independence. A N10 million–N20 million 10kva hybrid system, equipped with a 10kWh inverter, 10kWh battery, and 9kWh solar panels, can power microwaves, multiple fans, and TVs with 12–15 hours of backup.
The top-tier option, a N30 million 15kva system, includes a 12kw inverter, 33kWh battery capacity, and 11kw solar panels, capable of supporting three air conditioners and fridge-freezers at once while providing 15 hours of backup, making it suitable for both residential and commercial use.
“We’ve seen a 70 percent increase in residential installations in Lagos alone over the past 18 months,” said Abubakar Musa, CEO of SunSage Solar, a Lagos-based solar solutions provider. “Our clientele used to be mostly SMEs and NGOs. Now it’s CEOs, celebrities, and top politicians. Everyone wants out of the grid.”
The industry is also benefiting from a technological evolution. The emergence of lithium-ion battery storage, smarter inverters, and mobile-integrated monitoring systems has made solar more efficient and user-friendly.
“Solar is no longer an experiment. It’s a viable alternative,” Abubakar added. “And in Nigeria, where sunlight is abundant, it’s almost a sin not to use it.”(BusinessDay)
