By Majeed Salaam
For decades, discussions about electricity in Africa have centred on one persistent challenge: generating enough power to meet growing demand. That conversation is now changing. Across Nigeria, policymakers, technology innovators, development partners and investors are increasingly shifting attention from simply producing more electricity to using existing energy resources more efficiently through digital technology, decentralised systems and renewable energy solutions.
The message was unmistakable at the latest Smart Energy Systems Conference 2026 in Abuja, where experts argued that Africa has a unique opportunity to build a modern electricity system without following the expensive path taken by developed economies. Organised by Ubuntu Energy, Greenage Technologies and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), with support from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization’s Accelerate-to-Demonstrate Facility, Innovate UK and the UK Government, the conference highlighted Nigeria’s growing role in shaping Africa’s next generation of intelligent power systems.
Opening the conference, Ubuntu Energy and Greenage Technologies Co-founder, Chukwuemeka Nwangele, challenged African countries to move beyond being consumers of imported technology. “Africa should not simply adopt technologies developed elsewhere. We must invest in local engineering and manufacturing so that Africa becomes a creator of next-generation energy solutions rather than a consumer of them.,” he said.
His remarks captured a broader ambition that extends beyond electricity access to building an indigenous clean energy industry capable of creating jobs, attracting investment and strengthening local manufacturing.
Delivering the keynote address, REA Managing Director, Dr. Abba Aliyu, stressed that the future of electricity would depend on intelligence rather than generation alone.
“The future of electricity will not be defined by generation capacity alone, but by how intelligently energy is used, shared and managed,” he said.
He explained that Nigeria already possesses thousands of renewable energy installations through initiatives such as the Nigeria Electrification Project, the Energising Education Programme and the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up initiative. According to him, connecting these assets through digital platforms could significantly improve electricity distribution without constructing entirely new generation plants.
One of the conference’s strongest presentations came from Mercy Masanga, who shared findings from an ongoing smart energy project implemented by Ubuntu Energy in partnership with the REA. The pilot revealed that several solar-powered public institutions regularly generate excess electricity that remains unused.
Rather than allowing that energy to go to waste, the project links schools and other public facilities to nearby homes and businesses using smart low-voltage networks supported by digital metering, electronic payment systems and machine learning. The approach enables communities to maximise available power while expanding electricity access at a lower cost.
REA’s Saudattu Bobboi described the initiative as proof that smart technologies can unlock greater value from existing public investments by improving energy management instead of relying solely on expensive infrastructure expansion.
Development partners also emphasised the importance of moving successful pilot projects into commercial deployment. Peter Warren of the UNIDO Accelerate-to-Demonstrate Facility and Vivien Kizilcec of the UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero noted that demonstration projects provide the confidence investors need before financing large-scale deployment. Similarly, Anita Otubu of Sustainable Energy for All said stronger partnerships would be essential if Nigeria hopes to achieve universal electricity access.
In another development, the REA signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Agricultural Agenda Nigeria Initiative (AANI), during the National Stakeholders’ Engagement Workshop on National Alignment for the Deployment of Energy-Efficient Agricultural Productive Use Equipment (NADAPUE) in Abuja. The agreement seeks to deploy renewable energy solutions for millions of smallholder farmers.
Speaking after the signing, AANI National President Amb. Ephraim Audu said the partnership would expand access to solar-powered irrigation systems, cold storage facilities, climate-smart technologies and affordable financing.
According to him, the collaboration is expected to reduce production costs, minimise post-harvest losses, improve farmers’ incomes and strengthen agricultural value chains across the country.
Dr. Aliyu described the agreement as part of a broader effort to build institutions capable of sustaining long-term development. “What we are trying to build today is a system. Systems outlive funding cycles because they are backed by strong institutions, political will and effective coordination,” he said.
The workshop, organised by the REA alongside the ECOWAS Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP), the Federal Ministries of Power and Agriculture and Food Security, and the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA), also explored financing models and policy reforms needed to accelerate renewable energy deployment across agriculture.
The discussions at both events point to a significant shift in Nigeria’s energy strategy. Rather than measuring progress solely by the number of power plants built, the focus is increasingly on creating smarter networks that maximise existing resources, support productive sectors such as agriculture and encourage homegrown innovation.
While financing and regulatory reforms remain critical to nationwide expansion, Nigeria’s combination of digital energy management, decentralised renewable systems and strategic partnerships is positioning the country as a model for Africa’s clean energy transition.
