Nigeria’s push towards cleaner energy and electric mobility has received a major boost as MOPO, the battery subscription company backed by UK renewable energy investor Octopus Energy, has entered into a $75 million partnership with Nigerian energy firm Enspect Energy to deploy battery-swapping infrastructure across the country.
The five-year investment is expected to expand access to reliable, affordable energy, accelerate the adoption of electric motorcycles, and reduce the country’s heavy dependence on petrol and diesel generators amid rising fuel costs and persistent electricity shortages.
The initiative underscores growing investor confidence in Nigeria’s clean energy market and highlights the country’s strategic role in Africa’s energy transition.
The investment will fund the rollout of an extensive network of battery-swapping stations and battery rental services designed to serve electric mobility operators, small businesses and households.
The partners expect the project to lower the cost of clean energy adoption while creating jobs across the battery distribution, charging and maintenance value chain.
The move comes as Nigeria grapples with unreliable electricity supply and soaring energy costs following the removal of petrol subsidies. Millions of households and businesses continue to depend on petrol and diesel generators for power, creating a significant market for cleaner and more affordable battery-powered alternatives.
MOPO operates a battery-as-a-service model that enables users to subscribe to rechargeable lithium-ion batteries instead of purchasing them outright. Customers can exchange depleted batteries for fully charged ones at designated swap stations, reducing downtime and eliminating the high upfront cost associated with battery ownership.
The partnership will leverage Enspect Energy’s local expertise and distribution network to accelerate deployment across major Nigerian cities before expanding into underserved communities. The companies believe the model can help improve energy access while supporting the rapid growth of electric mobility in the country.
Nigeria is one of Africa’s most promising markets for battery-powered transportation because of its large commercial motorcycle sector, growing demand for affordable energy solutions and persistent power shortages.
These factors have attracted increasing interest from global investors seeking opportunities in Africa’s clean energy transition.
For Octopus Energy, the investment deepens its presence in emerging markets where demand for distributed renewable energy and battery storage technologies is growing. The company has increasingly backed climate technology ventures focused on expanding access to affordable, low-carbon energy.
Industry analysts say battery subscription models could remove one of the biggest barriers to electric vehicle adoption in Africa—the high cost of batteries—while offering households and businesses a cleaner alternative to fuel-powered generators.
If successfully executed, the MOPO-Enspect partnership could position Nigeria as one of Africa’s leading markets for battery-swapping technology, advancing electric mobility, improving energy resilience and supporting the country’s broader decarbonisation and economic development ambitions.
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