A proposed Abuja pilot would supply 3050 businesses through a shared renewable-energy system.
In a survey of 376 businesses, 277 were willing to invest in cooperative electricity.
Projected prices depend on affordable financing, grants and sufficient electricity sales.
Payment disputes and equipment maintenance would need enforceable rules.
October 14, (THEWILL) – For neighbouring businesses, buying separate generators means paying repeatedly for equipment that serves the same street or market. Solar offers another option, although purchasing a system individually can put it beyond a small firms budget.
A proposed project at Abujas Kugbo furniture market explores whether businesses could become part-owners of a shared electricity system. Developed through the SOAS Anti-Corruption Evidence programme with Energy Market and Rates Consultants and Atmos Energy Solutions, it would combine customer investment with professional operation.
However, the latest design paper reviewed, published in March 2026, describes a pilot under development. It does not establish that the system is operating or that customers have achieved savings.
Businesses Are Willing, but Cooperation Is Not Guaranteed
The proposal builds on a survey of 376 businesses conducted in March 2024. Of those respondents, 277 were willing to invest in cooperative electricity.
That interest came with reservations. High setup costs concerned 154 respondents, while 134 identified a lack of cooperation as a potential obstacle. These findings describe the surveyed businesses, rather than Nigerian small businesses generally.
Agreeing that better electricity is desirable does not settle how much each business should contribute, who controls the money or what happens when a member stops paying.
Nor will every shop need the same supply. A furniture workshop running machinery has different requirements from a retailer mainly powering lights and phones. Allocating costs fairly requires measuring those differences.
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Cheaper Finance Changes the Electricity Bill
The original proposal envisaged a 150160-kilowatt system serving 3050 businesses.
Its financial modelling illustrates how funding affects prices. One scenario estimated a tariff of 329 per kilowatt-hour without a grant. Adding a 30% capital grant reduced the estimate to 258, approximately 22% lower, with assumed monthly electricity sales unchanged.
Both scenarios relied on favourable conditions, including borrowing at 5% over seven years and collecting 95% of bills. These are modelling assumptions, not confirmed financing terms or tariffs available to customers.
Consequently, a business association cannot assume that pooling money automatically produces cheap power. More expensive borrowing, weak collections or lower-than-expected demand would change the calculation.
Ownership Comes With Payment Rules
Governance failure is a central risk, the March 2026 paper states, summarising financiers concerns.
Kugbos associations already collect security and waste-management levies. The project would build on that experience, alongside digital billing and a contracted operator.
Its revised enforcement design proposes warnings, fines under cooperative rules, individual disconnection and temporary suspension. Individual enforcement is intended to prevent a few unpaid bills from causing disconnection across the entire cluster.
For prospective members, the agreement therefore needs to explain both their ownership rights and their obligations as electricity customers. Paying towards equipment should not leave a business uncertain about maintenance charges, voting rights or recovering its investment when it moves premises.
Compare the Whole Bill
Another proposed feature deserves attention. The original model allocated 60% of billing to reserved capacity and 40% to metered consumption. That would leave businesses with a fixed commitment even during quieter trading periods.
Before joining, an owner would need a written estimate covering the initial contribution, fixed charges, expected usage and maintenance obligations. Comparing that total with existing electricity and generator expenses would show whether shared solar offers a saving that the business can actually afford.
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Joy Onuorah, THEWILL
Joy Onuorah is a business journalist and brand communications specialist covering financial markets, artificial intelligence, digital economy, and the ideas reshaping business across Africa and the global market. Beyond her reporting for TheWill, Joy uses brand strategy, storytelling, copywriting, and high-value SEO to help brands build lasting market authority.
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