Nigeria has recorded more than five million new off-grid electricity connections between 2025 and 2026, reflecting the growing reliance on distributed solar energy to bridge the country’s electricity access gap.

The Technical Lead for Mission 300 in Nigeria, Dayo Olowoniyi, disclosed this while speaking with journalists at the launch of new solar energy products by Sun King in Lagos, stressing that distributed solar remained one of the fastest ways to extend electricity access to underserved communities.

He noted that Mission 300 seeks to connect 300 million Africans to electricity, adding that the progress recorded in Nigeria was being supported by government interventions and private-sector participation in the off-grid market.

He identified the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) programme implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) as a key intervention supporting the deployment of solar equipment in rural and low-income communities.

According to him, the $750 million World Bank-backed programme provides capital subsidies to renewable energy companies, helping to reduce the cost of solar systems for Nigerians who might otherwise be unable to afford them.

“The government, through a programme, a World Bank programme called DARES, provides some level of capital subsidy to companies like Sun King, which then reduces the burden and the cost to Nigerians,” Olowoniyi said.

He explained that Mission 300 monitored the pace of electricity access by tracking the deployment of solar home systems and productive-use equipment, including systems designed to support businesses and essential services.

Olowoniyi, however, stressed the need for sustained collaboration between government and private-sector operators to maintain the pace of connections and deepen solar penetration across the country.

Against this backdrop, Sun King unveiled a 5kVA solar inverter and a 210-litre solar-powered freezer, targeting households and businesses seeking alternatives to unreliable electricity supply.

The company’s Vice President for Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO), Western Central Africa, Omoyemi Tuga, said the Power Hub Pro inverter could be expanded from 5kVA to 30kVA, allowing users to increase their electricity capacity as their needs grow.

He said the system could power homes, businesses, schools and hospitals, while the Power Freeze was designed to operate on solar energy during the day and battery power at night.

Tuga said the freezer would be useful to households and businesses that depend on refrigeration, particularly those whose operations are affected by unreliable power supply.

He acknowledged that the cost of solar equipment remained a challenge for many Nigerians, explaining that Sun King’s EasyBuy financing model allowed customers to pay an initial deposit and spread the balance over weekly or monthly instalments for between one and two years, depending on the product.

According to him, customers could acquire the 5kVA Power Hub Pro with a down payment of about N340,000, while the Power Freeze was expected to be commercially available at a monthly payment of between N120,000 and N130,000.

Meanwhile, Sun King’s representative, Lisbon Ogunsanmi, said Nigeria remained one of the company’s fastest-growing markets, attributing its expansion to partnerships with distributors, dealers, retailers, installers and financial institutions.

Ogunsanmi said the company had evolved from selling basic solar lighting products to offering systems capable of powering homes and businesses.

He said the company’s growth strategy was centred on making reliable energy solutions more accessible to customers.