As Africa Climate Summit promotes solar, off-grid power ramps up below the Sahara

By TAIWO ADEBAYO, EVELYNE MUSAMBI and MOGOMOTSI MAGOME

NAIROBI (AP) — Access to electricity remains a major challenge for over half a billion people in sub-Saharan Africa, and power outages are common even for those who are hooked up to the grid. Clean electricity from solar is catching on in several large African countries, and a lot of it is off-grid, powering one or more buildings, but not attached to a larger system. In South Africa and Kenya, solar is being used to power major businesses. In Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, solar adoption remains limited to households. Dealers in Nigeria say the government should provide incentives to encourage solar, but where it hasn’t, the private sector is stepping in with installment payment plans.