The Nigerian government has cut electricity supply to the Niger Republic by 42 percent, reducing exports from 80 megawatts to 46MW, in a move that has triggered widespread power outages and forced residents and businesses in Niger to adopt solar energy solutions.
This development was disclosed by Niger’s Energy Minister, Haoua Amadou, during an interview with AFP, revealing that the reduced supply has caused the country’s electricity production to decline by 30 to 50 percent. State-owned power company Nigelec has since introduced scheduled power cuts, some lasting several days, especially in the capital, Niamey.
The electricity reduction follows Nigeria’s earlier suspension of power exports as part of regional sanctions imposed by ECOWAS after the July 2023 military coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum. Although the sanctions, including energy restrictions, were later lifted, the power supply has not returned to previous levels.
“Nigeria has since resumed delivering electricity, but only providing 46 megawatts instead of the usual 80 megawatts,” Minister Amadou said, noting that this remains insufficient to meet national demand.
In response to the persistent outages, many Nigeriens have turned to solar power. According to a resident of Niamey’s Lazaret neighborhood, Elhadj Abdou, rooftop solar panels have become common. “There are no more power cuts here, and there are no bills to pay; everything works on solar energy,” he said.
The panels, mostly imported from China and sold for about 50,000 CFA francs (approximately 75 euros), are now frequently sold on the streets.
Nigeria, which primarily generates electricity from thermal and hydroelectric sources, relies heavily on natural gas to power its over 29 thermal plants.
