According to Reuters, the President of the World Bank, Ajay Banga, unveiled a plan during his visit to a grid near Abuja on Saturday. The plan aims to establish 1,000 solar power mini grids in Nigeria to provide electricity access to the 86 million Nigerians currently without it.

The project will be a collaborative effort involving the World Bank, Nigerian authorities, and the private sector. While approximately 150 mini grids have already been constructed, the ambition is to reach 1,000 mini grids in total. The investment for this endeavor amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars.

The World Bank will contribute pump-priming capital to initiate the process, but the entire program will involve joint funding from various parties.

Mini grids typically have a capacity ranging from a few kilowatts to up to 10MW, which can supply electricity to around 200 Nigerian households.

World Bank data indicates that in sub-Saharan Africa, 568 million people lack access to electricity, and nearly 8 out of 10 people globally without electricity reside in Africa.