The drive for reliable power on farms is leading farmers to embrace renewable green energy solutions. Expanding solar and other renewable energy installations on farms is becoming increasingly common across Nigeria and Africa. For stakeholders, scaling up the use of renewable energy in agri-food systems is seen as a crucial strategy for advancing both energy and food security. DANIEL ESSIET reports on this growing trend and its potential to transform agricultural practices
Energy is crucial for boosting productivity and income, minimising food waste, enhancing climate resilience for farmers and agri-enterprises, and improving cooking conditions across all stages from production to processing, storage, and cooking. The World Bank estimates that 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, including many farmers, lack access to reliable grid electricity, with hundreds of millions more facing frequent and disruptive power outages. Notably, most of these off-grid households are situated in rural areas and depend on agriculture for their livelihood or sustenance, highlighting the pressing need for stable energy solutions in these communities.
Additionally, more than 25 per cent of the adult population in sub-Saharan Africa faces food insecurity, and over 65 per cent of the region’s farmland is still worked manually due to widespread poverty and limited access to electricity. Given its vital role in food production and job creation, agriculture is a key driver of economic growth. To address these challenges, there is ongoing exploration of innovative off-grid energy technologies that can support both energy generation and agricultural activities. This approach aims to boost farming productivity and tackle the pressing issue of food security.
For farmers in Africa, renewable energy sources are increasingly recognised as practical alternatives. Analysts attribute this growth largely to declining prices and improved incentives, including carbon credits.
In its report tagged “Off-grid Energy Solutions: Global and Regional Status and Trends, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) said the combination of mobile payment technologies and innovative design—particularly in solar-lighting and home systems—has led to significant expansion across Africa. The report also revealed that the number of Africans utilising off-grid energy solutions rose dramatically from two million in 2011 to 53 million in 2016.
For the Chief Executive of OWATTS, Femi Oye, facilitating access to off-grid solar technologies serves as a crucial enabler for various developmental outcomes, particularly in sectors such as agriculture, enterprise, health, education and climate resilience. He has been partnering with international organisations to deliver off-grid solar solutions that enhance agricultural productivity, increase income, create green employment opportunities and bolster climate initiatives. However, he expressed concern that Nigeria has not fully capitalised on the potential benefits of off-grid solar electrification.
Currently, over 70 per cent of rural farming communities in Nigeria lack access to electricity, which hinders both economic and social progress.
In the light of the limited extension of the national grid, many rural regions require decentralised energy solutions.
Given Nigeria’s high solar radiation levels, off-grid solar systems present a viable option for delivering clean, reliable and affordable electricity.
With rising electricity prices, installations of renewable energy make a great deal of financial sense.
For both on and off-grid farmers, he believes they can’t keep on carrying these costs and that investment in renewable energy is the way to go.
For this reason, he encourages more farmers to find alternative power sources that are less expensive.
It is encouraging to note that a new selection of agricultural appliances tailored for smallholder farmers is currently available in Africa, facilitated by various off-grid energy solution providers.
At present, off-grid systems are powering a variety of agricultural technologies that promote efficient, rapid and cost-effective production methods. These technologies include electricity generation, water pumps, irrigation systems, and additional equipment such as electric fencing, lighting and remote monitoring systems.
Off-grid renewable energy devices, including water pumps, dryers, grain mills, small horticultural processors, cold storage facilities, refrigerator/deep freezers, bulk milk chillers and vertical fodder growing units, can greatly enhance agricultural productivity and profitability.
Furthermore, solar-powered cooling solutions are instrumental to minimising post-harvest losses in the agricultural sector.
By prolonging the shelf life of perishable goods, these technologies help in minimising waste and enhance farmers’ income.
Nevertheless, their uptake is obstructed by high initial investments, subpar performance and quality alignment with market needs, and restricted remote monitoring functionalities.
The global market for these technologies is projected to reach $46 billion, with the potential to benefit approximately 35 million farmers and increase their incomes by 20 to 40 per cent.
Also, the Off-Grid Solar Business Trends Report of 2020 indicated that the off-grid solar sector has rapidly evolved into a robust $1.75 billion annual industry.
To provide a sustainable alternative to traditional fodder cultivation that demands less space, water, and energy, farmers are adopting solar hydroponic fodder systems.
Additionally, solar irrigation, as a well-established practice, has the potential to boost revenue by up to 50 per cent, transform water accessibility, and facilitates multiple cropping cycles.
Currently, African Development Bank (AfDB) and Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) Nigeria has been training farmers on regenerative agriculture to boost crop production and reduce effects of climate change.
The Country Director of SAA, Dr Godwin Atser said farmers are now using solar technology to power their farming activities.
The SAA, a Japanese multinational non-governmental organisation, has been working with local organisations to engage with communities and also help women and youth to engage in agriculture as a business productively.
Since greenhouse and organic agriculture expert, Ayodele Farinde adopted renewable energy solutions on his farms; the results have been immediate and transformative.
He told The Nation that he has seen the benefits of solar energy with regard to savings.
“It has helped to reduce the cost of production by 30 per cent and the cost of powering the farm has also reduced. I don’t have to burn fuel to light up the farm at night or pump water with a generator. That aspect of the cost component has been removed.
“I use 7,000 to 10,000 litres of water per day, on my farm because we are doing protected cultivation. My adoption of renewable energy solutions reduced the cost of production drastically.
“By leveraging off-grid energy options, Farinde, who is the Founder of Kaspharyn Solutions Nigeria believes that agricultural enterprises can decrease their carbon emissions, reduce costs, and improve energy efficiency.
With a reliable water supply, he is capable of cultivating crops all-year round. His successful initiatives have been mirrored across various farms in the Southwest.
Farinde’s aim is to facilitate the widespread implementation of renewable energy in Nigeria’s agricultural landscape and beyond.
With cold storage and refrigeration essential at every phase of the agri-food chain to prolong shelf life, minimise losses, and uphold the quality of products from crops, livestock, and fisheries, he noted there is need for more farmers to utilise solar-powered refrigeration. Deploying solar system has helped him to effectively reduce the spoilage of perishable items.
Indeed, solar pumps are becoming more and more common in Africa’s rural communities.
The pumps can provide water all day long; reducing farmers’ dependency on erratic rainfall and occasionally replacing expensive diesel or grid-powered pumps that are currently in use.
The days when farmers had to rely solely on the supply of electricity or diesel to run their pumps to irrigate their crops are long gone.
Because of their success, farmers are installing more solar pumps at their own expense.
The Founder of Integrated Aerial Precision and an Agricultural Drone Specialist, Femi Adekoya told The Nation that a lot of farmers are now using solar-powered pumps to irrigate their farms.
Analysts believe that solar power will be crucial as the country works hard to meet ambitious goals set out in its Nationally Determined Contribution. Nigeria is working on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and using more clean energy, from non-fossil fuel-based energy sources by 2030.
So far, alternative energy derived from biomass by-products have proven helpful in boosting local processing, storage, and cooking capacities.
According to a report by the World Bank, biogas technology presents a viable solution for improving energy access in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in rural areas where many households are attempting to shift from the unsustainable reliance on traditional biomass fuels to lessen their carbon footprint.
The biogas industry is currently experiencing notable expansion throughout Africa. The energy is produced via the anaerobic digestion of organic waste, which includes human, animal, and kitchen waste.
Farinde explained that biogas is produced using biodigesters. Biodigesters are specially sealed containers that facilitate the fermentation of organic materials, such as cow dung and agricultural byproducts, resulting in the production of biogas for cooking and lighting applications.
He told The Nation that he uses biogas produced from biodigesters to pump water across the farm.
Consequently, the approach not only alleviated the financial burden on farming families but also mitigated the environmental impact associated with the harvesting of fuel wood from local forests.
In Nigeria, cow dung has been harnessed as an energy source for farming operations.
During his tenure as the Provost of Federal College of Agriculture (FECA) Akure, Ondo State, the immediate past Commissioner for Agriculture in Ogun State, Dr Samson Odedina drove the utilisation of cow dung to produce energy for farmers.
The initiative involved converting cow manure into biogas via household biodigesters. It aims at assisting local farmers in decreasing their reliance on firewood and fossil fuels.
In a community near Akure, FECA conducted an experiment that involved the installation of a biogas plant.
The facility transforms cow dung into a renewable energy source, which is then used for generating electricity, heat and cooking.
A small-scale biogas plant with a digester capacity of 15 cubic meters can provide sufficient energy for a family of up to five individuals to fulfill their cooking requirements for an entire month.
The fermentation of the dung, combined with other organic waste occurs under conditions similar to human digestion, resulting in the generation of methane gas.
The initiative, funded by the West African Agricultural Productivity Project (WAAPP), successfully highlighted the role of renewable energy technologies in enhancing agricultural productivity.
Odedina had stated that the gas is transported through a network of pipes to the kitchen or to a gas lamp, providing illumination within the residence.
At the outset of the initiative, FECA provided training and resources for workers to facilitate the installation and management of biogas systems. Farmers received training and were encouraged to adopt renewable energy technologies.
In 2017, a researcher at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Dr Victor Okereke said that the institution had recorded a major breakthrough in biogas technology.
Dr Okereke said the technology was developed using waste materials harnessed from pig, cow, goat and sheep sourced from the university livestock unit.
According to him, biogas is methane gas produced from agricultural waste, manure, food and animal waste that can be used as a renewable energy source with little or no carbon footprint.
“Currently, the gas extracted from the dung (faeces) is used to generate power to pump water for the animals in the farm and later process animal products for sale.
Okereke, who is an agricultural microbiologist said that biogas, a renewable energy source, has a high sustainability rating without any harmful impact on the environment.
The deployment of household biodigesters has been recognized as a significant opportunity for farming families to generate their own energy for cooking and other applications, thereby enhancing their farm productivity. The biogas plant effectively converts abundant agricultural residues, such as cow dung, poultry manure, and vegetable waste, into electricity.
Oye has been in support of a national initiative to increase the share of renewable energy sources to 50 per cent by 2030.
As agri-food value chains evolve, he was of the opinion; there is a growing necessity for alternatives to fossil fuel energy sources. The transition, according to him, is crucial for developing a food system that is secure, environmentally sustainable, and resilient.
He believes that renewable energy can play a critical role in addressing farmers’ electricity, heating and cooling demands.
He urged that the government to spearhead the fight for development of renewable energy sources to assist rural food processors.
He pointed out that the transformation of many agricultural production zones would be hampered by the absence of reliable alternative power sources, which would have an impact on the sustainability and supply chains of local food.
Given the rising cost of electricity and the fact that many farmers are off-grid, he advised them to think about making investments in renewable energy projects, particularly solar power, which provides a more reliable and profitable return on land usage.
He argued that more farmers should use solar-powered technology to irrigate their farms, using solar-powered pumps.
Oye also said that he was ready to assist farmers to successfully convert generators to operate on petrol and gas, depending on the user’s preference.
For him, the future implications of this initiative are profound.
Meanwhile, the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, in partnership with various organisations in Nigeria and other African nations, has been promoting the use of improved Cookstoves to aid those living in rural areas that primarily depend on farming for their livelihoods.
There is a major new partnership between the World Bank Group and the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves to spur a transition to clean cooking for 100 million households, which still use inefficient cook stoves and solid fuels for cooking.
The new partnership, for which the World Bank committed to mobilising $60 million, is designed to support the Global Alliance for Clean cook stoves stated goal of 100 million households adopting clean and efficient cook stoves and fuels by 2020, as well as the global Sustainable Energy for All goal of universal access to modern energy services by 2030.
Oye noted that ensuring global access to clean cooking by 2030 could save 2.5 million people–mostly women and children–from premature deaths associated with breathing fire smoke, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
He noted that “with limited off-grid power supply, the case for achieving universal clean cooking is clear.”
