The United Nations has recognised Nigeria’s efforts to expand access to affordable electricity, reporting that more than five million people have benefited from rural electrification projects, solar home systems and targeted subsidy programmes.

The recognition was contained in the UN’s World Social Report 2026: The New Economics of Social Inclusion, which highlighted the contribution of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to providing electricity for underserved and unserved communities across the country.

The report identified the Nigeria Electrification Project as an example of how government-supported mini-grids can reduce electricity costs for low-income households while attracting private investment. The initiative has supported the installation of 125 mini-grids and the distribution of more than one million solar home systems.

According to the UN, these interventions have connected over five million Nigerians to reliable electricity through targeted subsidies, lifeline tariffs and pay-as-you-go financing arrangements designed to improve affordability.

The report also highlighted Nigeria and Ghana’s progress in agrivoltaics, a system that combines solar power generation with agricultural activities on the same land. The approach enables farmers to maintain agricultural production while generating clean electricity.

The UN noted that targeted subsidies and flexible electricity pricing could help reduce inequalities in energy access, particularly among low-income communities. It added that off-grid solut