…Says 401 Million Africans To Gain Electricity Access By 2030
Uche Cecil Izuora
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), has named Nigeria as one of the world’s largest electricity access deficits by population.
The Agency said efforts are underway to provide millions of Africans with affordable electricity.
According to IRENA, about 401 million people in Africa could gain access to more affordable electricity through mini-grids and standalone solar systems by 2030.
The estimate comes from the agency’s World Energy Transitions Outlook 2026 report, published in October 2026.
IRENA estimates that these systems would provide 60 per cent of the new electricity connections expected by 2030.
Aside Nigeria, IRENA also identifies five other countries with particularly high investment needs for these systems. They include the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), which it said has huge electricity access deficits by population, as well as Ethiopia, Niger, Sudan and Tanzania.
The Agency also notes that decentralized renewable energy systems are already expanding across the continent, with off-grid renewable energy capacity rising from 294 MW in 2014 to 1.35 GW in 2024.
The expansion has come alongside falling technology costs.
According to data from the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) cited by IRENA, the cost of electricity generation from mini-grids has fallen from $0.55 to $0.38 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) since 2018.
A separate report published by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in October 2025, Financing Electricity Access in Africa, also underscores the role of decentralized electricity systems in expanding access.
Under its scenario for achieving universal electricity access in sub-Saharan Africa by 2035, the IEA estimates that 55 per cent of households currently without electricity would be served by decentralized systems, while the remainder would be connected to the main power grid.