Solar lanterns in Niger Delta communities: experiences in building a sustainable distribution model

Reports/papers (non-specific)
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16604IIED.pdf
Language:
English
Published: March 2016
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ISBN: 9781784312411
Product code:16604IIED

The Niger Delta region fuels Nigeria’s economy, accounting for 95 per cent of Nigeria’s export earnings and over 80 per cent of the federal government’s revenue. Yet it remains one of the poorest parts of the country. Its considerable potential for socio-economic~development has been hampered by a lack of access to modern energy services, despite rich energy resources. Renewable energy has become a competitive option for improving access to energy.

The European Union-funded Sungas project aimed to develop community-based energy solutions in the Niger Delta using renewable energy sources. As part of this project, Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN) piloted the use of solar-powered portable~lighting in four Niger Delta communities, using the ‘energy delivery model’ approach. It aimed to catalyse market development by demonstrating and selling small solar lanterns as a commercial and sustainable business model.

This paper reviews and evaluates the impact of SDN’s solar lantern distribution model at a community level. It identifies what SDN has learnt through distributing solar lanterns in four rural and urban communities in Rivers State, Nigeria, in order to critique the approach and consider how to implement the model more effectively, as well as analysing its potential for scaling up in the region.

Cite this publication

, . (2016). Solar lanterns in Niger Delta communities: experiences in building a sustainable distribution model. .
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