Nigeria’s fumbling quest for power

BY BEULAH ADEOYE

While Africa’s giant sits on a fortune of oil and gas, its citizens live by the hum of a generator. But amidst the gloom, a few sparks of a solar revolution are showing a brighter path forward as evidence of real hope.

In Nigeria, the day often begins not with an alarm clock, but with a question: is the generator on? For 200 million people, life is a daily dance between diesel, darkness, and dwindling hope. The national grid, a fickle beast at the best of times, seems to have taken a permanent vacation, leaving businesses to sputter and homes to fall silent.

It is a national tragicomedy of the highest order. A nation blessed with some of the world’s largest fossil fuel reserves cannot keep the lights on. Our leaders, meanwhile, seem to be operating on a different power source altogether. The minister of power was recently spotted on a premature campaign trail for a governorship he desires, boasting to a community in Oyo state that has hardly any reliable electricity that it was now his turn; and what qualifies him? Simply because he had failed at it severally, equating to him paying his dues. It is a uniquely Nigerian brand of political theatre: asking for a promotion while your current office is, quite literally, dark.

This dependence on fuel we can’t reliably provide has left us choking on fumes and frustration. The question is no longer if we need a new way, but whether we have the courage to flick the switch.

Amidst the national gloom, a few sparks are catching. In Oyo state, His Excellency Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration is engaged in a radical act of common sense: using the sun.

Quietly, without grand pronouncements, solar mini-grids are sprouting in villages like Ajia, Otefon, and Agbaruru — places long forgotten by the central grid. These aren’t just infrastructure projects; they are lifelines. Solar-powered streetlights are pushing back the darkness in markets and on bridges, allowing commerce to thrive after dusk and making streets safer for everyone. Solar-powered boreholes deliver clean water without the daily clatter and cost of a diesel pump.

This isn’t a perfect solution, but it is something far more important: proof of concept. Oyo is demonstrating that a decentralised, sun-powered future is not only possible but practical. It’s a simple equation: sun plus panel equals progress. It seems some have finally done the maths.

If Nigeria needs inspiration, it need not look far. We should really take lessons from our neighbours. Consider Rwanda, a nation that has overcome an unimaginable history to become a leader in clean energy. With a clear target of universal electricity access by 2030, Rwanda is aggressively diversifying with solar, hydro, and bioenergy, proving that political will can triumph over limited resources.

Then there is Singapore, an island so small it makes Lagos look like a continent. With no natural energy resources to speak of, it is a masterclass in ingenuity born of necessity. Singapore harvests sunlight from every available surface — rooftops, building facades, and even vast floating farms on reservoirs. Their goal of hitting 2 GWp of solar capacity by 2030 is a stunning rebuke to anyone who claims a lack of space or resources is an excuse for inaction.

Nigeria has the necessity in abundance; it’s the ingenuity that seems to be on backorder.

So, must we wait for the government to see the light? Absolutely not. True change in Nigeria has always bubbled up from the ground. Here’s how to start:

Declare war on waste. That flickering incandescent bulb? It’s a traitor. The humming freezer from 1988? An enemy of progress. Switching to energy-efficient appliances isn’t just about saving naira; it’s a patriotic act to reduce the strain on a grid already on life support.

Become a sunlight evangelist. Demand more from your leaders. Ask why your local clinic isn’t covered in solar panels. Agitate for policies that make renewables cheap and accessible. Make ‘solar’ the most popular word at your next town hall meeting.

Guard the gridlet. Those new mini-grids and solar streetlights in your community? They’re gold. Protect them, maintain them, and treat them like the lifeline they are. A little community ownership goes a very long way.

Nigeria can continue its toxic relationship with fossil fuels — a romance that gives us blackouts, pollution, and international pity. Or we can look up.

The sun that beats down on our land isn’t a curse; it’s a promise. The path being lit by Oyo, Rwanda, and Singapore shows that a renewable future isn’t a utopian dream but a matter of political will and collective action. Real national dignity isn’t found in barrels of oil we export, but in the simple, profound power of a light that always switches on for our own people.

Beulah Adeoye is a legal and financial expert with international recognition for his work in forensic accounting, governance, and philanthropy.