The rise and lies of renewable energy in Nigeria.

The Rise of renewable energy in Nigeria.

Nigeria's First Five Hydroelectric Dams: A Journey Through History.

Nigeria's journey with hydroelectric power began in the 1950s, driven by a desire for clean and sustainable energy. Here's a glimpse into the first five dams and their fascinating backstories:

1. Kainji Dam (1968): Nestled on the Niger River, Kainji emerged as the pioneer, commissioned in 1968. Its construction, funded by the World Bank, involved the relocation of entire villages and sparked environmental debates. Despite challenges, Kainji's 750 MW capacity powered a growing nation, illuminating homes and propelling industries.

2. Jebba Dam (1979): Rising downstream on the Niger, Jebba Dam followed in 1979. Built primarily for irrigation and flood control, it also generated 500 MW, further strengthening the national grid. Its construction fostered a new community around the dam, showcasing the potential of hydroelectric projects for development.

3. Shiroro Dam (1980): Just a stone's throw away from Jebba, Shiroro Dam arrived in 1980. This 600 MW powerhouse, also on the Niger, symbolized the consolidation of Nigeria's hydroelectricity ambitions. Its construction involved meticulous planning and collaboration, showcasing the nation's growing engineering prowess.

4. Bacita Dam (1989): Venturing north, Bacita Dam on the Kaduna River came online in 1989. Its 200 MW capacity, though smaller than its predecessors, served a vital role in electrifying rural communities and boosting agricultural production in the region. Bacita's construction, funded by the International Development Association, highlighted international cooperation in powering Nigeria's future.

5. Oyan Dam (1989): Completing the quintet, Oyan Dam on the Ogun River switched on in 1989. This 75 MW dam served primarily for irrigation and water supply, but also contributed to the national grid. Its construction faced technical challenges, showcasing the resilience and adaptability of Nigerian engineers in overcoming hurdles.

These first five hydroelectric dams marked a significant turning point in Nigeria's energy landscape. Their stories are not just about concrete and turbines, but about ambition, collaboration, and a nation striving towards a brighter, more sustainable future.

The power of hydro.

I had started with Nigeria’s hydropower to show that  hydropower is the backbone of the renewable energy makeup of Nigerias energy mix that has continued to deceive the international community of Nigeria’s commitment to renewable energy.

I have only mentioned the first five hydroelectric power stations all of which makeup up for about 2GW of electricity to the national grid, all built before democracy or even SDG17.

Nigeria's total installed hydropower capacity is approximately 3,056 MW. This represents about 24% of the country's total installed capacity of 12,522 MW as of 2023.

Here's a breakdown of the major hydropower plants and their individual capacities:

Kainji Dam: 750 MW
Jebba Dam: 500 MW
Shiroro Dam: 600 MW
Bacita Dam: 200 MW
Oyan Dam: 75 MW
Other smaller dams: ~931 MW


These dams play a significant role in providing clean and renewable energy to Nigeria, although transmission and maintenance issues sometimes limit the actual available capacity.

Nigerias renewable energy targets.

Nigeria has set several ambitious renewable energy targets over time, with a focus on increasing the share of renewables in the national energy mix and diversifying away from fossil fuels. Here's a summary of some key renewable energy targets and their timeframes:

2015

National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy (NREEEP):Targeted a 30% share of renewables in the electricity generation mix by 2030, with a focus on hydropower, solar, wind, and biomass.

Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC): Under the Paris Agreement,pledged to achieve 25% unconditional and 40% conditional reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2005 levels.

2016

Renewable Energy Master Plan (REMP): Increased the renewable energy target to 23% of electricity generation by 2025 and 36% by 2030.

2020

Revised NDC: Updated the target to 47% unconditional and 70% conditional reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, highlighting renewables as a key strategy.

2023:

Renewable Energy Roadmap for Nigeria: Projected additional renewable energy deployment potential up to 2050, with a focus on solar and wind, along with a renewed commitment to the 30% by 2030 target.

Falling short? Or lies?

It is already evident that Nigeria through hydropower already meets some of its renewable energy targets up to 2030, with most renewable energy targets demanding a 15-25% inclusion of renewables. 

This means all governments from 2015, when most of the renewable energy targets where postulates till date (2023) can, and have relaxed creating renewable energy stations in the GW scale up to 2030 since hydropower which was built in the 90’s already help meet these targets, which is evident from this chart, showing that from 2013 to 2022, less than 100MW has been added to the renewable energy portfolio.

Look again. This time notice the changes in country figures around Nigeria on this statistics especially countries like Morroco, who are also in the league of African nations of similar standards. 

NB: Other countries on this list surrounding Nigeria are small island nations or countries at war, thus the comparison with Morocco. 

It is worth noting that most of the newly added renewable energy projects were solarization of tertiary institutions and minigrid projects comparatively termed demonstration projects. 

In fact if you look closely at the tabulated statistics for Nigeria, if you removed the assumed newly installed solarized university, we see that the actual hydropower generation capacity is just about 2,000MW on a projected nameplate of 3,045MW, this is because, some hydroelectric dams have been slated to come on-stream since 2015 and have been documented as power stations but are not yet in operation, for example, Mambilla Dam. 

Nigeria’s energy mix.

Nigeria's energy mix is dominated by thermal and hydro sources, with a smaller contribution from renewable sources like solar and wind. Here's a breakdown:

Main Generation Types:

Thermal: 80% (primarily gas-fired power plants)
Hydro: 20% (major dams like Kainji,Jebba, and Shiroro)
Renewables: <1% (including solar,wind, and biomass)

Additional Details:

Nigeria’s Installed Capacity: Approximately 12,522 MW (as of 2023)

Available Capacity: Around 6,056 MW (due to transmission losses and maintenance issues)
Fuel Sources: Natural gas is the dominant fuel for thermal generation, followed by oil and diesel.

Renewable Potential: Nigeria boasts significant potential for solar and wind energy, with plans to increase their share in the mix.


In my other post “Is Nigeria a wind generating country” I argue whether Nigeria truly has the potential to generate renewable energy with wind, given that there are very few wind resource areas in Nigeria.

So what can Nigeria do better?

Nigeria, well positioned on the equator is undoubtedly a solar generating country, with the power to use solar power generation to increase energy access, provide needed jobs and show leadership in clean energy generation up to 25GW from solar farms, interconnected Minigrids and municipal solar schemes.  

Wind power generation is possible in pockets of high wind resource areas within the hinterlands and at the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean by up to 2GW. 

Nigeria does not have any feed-in tariff schemes that can help drive the necessary shift to renewables. Electricity Distribution companies can begin to innovate by offering solar options for clients from standalone roof or parking lot ground mounted solar systems to augment power generation and usage in urban and semi urban communities. These installations can be metered to shift power demands for users who will be RE-educated to use certain loads during the day from these solar installations and ramp up gas fired stations at night to support the grid. 

As more and more solar, wind, anaerobic digestion and alternative power plants are planned for each local government area, we can start to see FDI inflows from diaspora and international investors to facilitate investments in power generation. 

Good news, if you want to be a part of an investment SPV for renewable energy development within Nigeria, here’s a form you can fill, they are collating companies within Nigeria into all kinds of renewable energy solutions for investment opportunities, available at here 

Written by Mundez. 

edmundez@me.com