The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) has expanded its rollout in Oyo State. The agency deployed solar home systems and clean cookstoves. The beneficiaries are households and small business owners. The deployment is part of a practical technology programme.
Nigeria’s energy access crisis is severe. Over 70 million Nigerians lack electricity. The grid delivers about 4,000MW for a population above 220 million. Successive governments have promoted solar as a solution. The Rural Electrification Agency runs the DARES programme with World Bank support. NASENI’s mandate is science and engineering infrastructure. It has deployed solar systems in several states. The Oyo rollout continues that effort.
NASENI’s deployment targets households and small businesses. Solar home systems provide lighting and phone charging. Clean cookstoves reduce firewood and charcoal use. Both address daily needs. The rollout is small relative to the national gap. It is also practical. Solar home systems are modular. They can be installed quickly. Cookstoves reduce indoor air pollution. They also cut fuel costs.
The challenge is scale and sustainability. NASENI is a federal agency. Its budget is limited. Deployments depend on funding cycles. Maintenance is often neglected. Without local technicians and spare parts, systems fail. The beneficiaries may return to kerosene and firewood. The programme needs a service model, not just a distribution model.
The economic logic is sound. Reliable power lets small businesses operate longer. Cookstoves reduce household spending on fuel. Both improve productivity. The rollout is a start. It is not a solution to the energy crisis. That requires grid investment, policy reform and private capital.
Winners: Beneficiaries, who gain power and cleaner cooking. NASENI, which demonstrates impact. Local installers, who gain work. Oyo State, which gains visibility. Losers: Households not selected. Communities without service support. Taxpayers, if systems fail. The grid, which remains underfunded.
Bottom Line: NASENI deployed solar and cookstoves in Oyo. Good for the beneficiaries. The energy crisis needs more than pilot projects. It needs a system that lasts.