Governing the Mini-Grid Electricity Delivery Model in Nigeria

The above captures the essence of the thinking around sustainability and energy provision for the rural communities that are currently unserved in sub-Saharan Africa. Globally, there are more than 1.3 billion people (20 per cent of the world’s population) without access to modern and affordable energy sources to meet their domestic and commercial needs. The majority of these people are in the rural areas of developing or least-developed countries. Of the 1.3 billion people, 1.1 billion are without access to modern electricity supply. Access to modern energy sources has been shown to have a direct correlation on the human development index and, it is an enabler for alleviating poverty, social progress, gender equality and environmental resilience within the rural areas of developing countries. This implies a lack of modern energy services has influenced living long and healthy lives, achieving an acceptable standard of education and knowledge as well as a decent standard of living within these countries. In sub-Saharan African countries, the rural access gap is widening and the provision of modern energy services is seen as an all-inclusive panacea to alleviating poverty and delivering developmental goals in rural areas. Recognizing the importance of energy access as key to economic growth and environmental sustainability has put its provision at the heart of international development initiatives.