The number of Nigerians working in renewable energy will more than double by 2023, a report says.
According to a report by Power for All, a global coalition advocating renewable energy solutions to end blackouts, solar services could add 76,000 jobs by 2023, up from 32,000 in 2019.
The report said Nigeria’s renewable industry will have more than 65,000 workers.
Nigeria had the world’s largest gas reserves and was Africa’s largest oil producer until August. After Russia invaded Ukraine, poor power supply and a 200% increase in diesel prices drove demand for solar power in West Africa.
The research, funded by The Rockefeller Foundation, Good Energies Foundation, and the European Programme GET.invest, surveyed employment and compensation in more than 350 companies in Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda.
Nigeria had the “fastest post-pandemic recovery and growth in decentralized renewable energy jobs”
Under the Paris climate agreement, Africa’s most populous nation pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by a fifth. It launched an energy transition plan this year to expand solar infrastructure and gas-powered generation.
The country’s solar sector quickly recovered from lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic, doubling its workforce to 50,000 by 2021.
