Nigeria has secured $950 million in funding to enhance its renewable electricity supply through the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) programme. The funding comprises $750 million from the World Bank, secured last year, and an additional $200 million from the Japanese International Development Corporation (JICA) in February 2025.

The DARES initiative aims to improve power access for the approximately 86 million Nigerians currently without electricity. It plans to provide electricity to 17.5 million Nigerians, with three million served through isolated mini-grids, 1.5 million via interconnected mini-grids, and about 12 million using mesh-free and standalone solar systems.

In a related development, Nigeria has entered into a $200 million agreement with WeLight, a pan-African Distributed Renewable Energy company, to deploy hundreds of renewable mini-grids. This project, supported by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, aims to develop and operate 400 mini-grids and 50 MetroGrids, improving electricity access for an estimated 1.5 to 2 million people in rural and peri-urban areas.

These efforts are part of Nigeria's strategy to increase the share of renewable energy in its electricity mix from 22% to 50%, leveraging private investment to achieve this goal.