NIGERIA’S INFORMAL ENERGY MARKET AND ITS TRANSITION PATHWAYS

What happens when the formal energy system does not meet daily needs?

Who fills the gap, and at what cost?

What does “transition” mean when the starting point is already informal?

Across Nigeria, millions rely on an energy system that exists outside policy frameworks. The generators, the biomass fuels and the roadside networks all act as both back-up and primary source of survival, productivity and stability.

The challenge then is not replacing the system…it is understanding it.

An energy transition that overlooks informal realities risks designing solutions that remain out of reach. However, one that starts from lived experience of how energy is accessed, paid for and sustained, opens more practical and inclusive pathways forward.

Read the full analysis to explore what this means for designing a transition that works in practice.