How solar-powered electricity is empowering off-grid communities in Akwa Ibom

The riverine community of Oweikorogha in Bayelsa State is like other hard-to-reach places without access to electricity. Accessible mainly by boat, it was, for decades, powered by generators while diesel was affordable. When the price of fuel went up, the town was left in darkness.

Small businesses counted losses. Women processing cassava raced against the sunset. Children struggled to read by candlelight or a kerosene lamp. Night-time meant locking doors early. The generator was both saviour and headache, a painful reminder that a country rich in oil could still not give its own people steady electricity.

Today, that story is changing. Steady electricity now flows in Oweikorogha, not from the distant national grid, but from an 80-kilowatt solar mini-grid supported by All On, a Nigerian company set up to provide off-grid electricity to rural communities. For many residents, it feels like life has finally started moving forward.

“Before now, we relied heavily on generators, and diesel was extremely expensive.

“Sometimes, we stayed completely without electricity. Businesses were suffering, and movement in the community reduced once it became dark,” says Waya Wayas, Speaker of the Council of Chiefs in Oweikorogha.

“Now, we have electricity day and night. Cold drinks are available, students can read comfortably, and women processing cassava can continue working after dark. Business activities have improved significantly.”

All On was set up in 2016 by Shell and structured to function as an independent impact investment company. At the time, most serious investors looked at off-grid energy in Nigeria and thought it too risky, too remote, and too much of a headache.

But the founders saw something different. Nigeria is said to have a huge electricity deficit. Millions of people, especially in rural areas and the Niger Delta, have either no grid at all or a “grid” that gives them power only when it feels like it. Meanwhile, the same communities sit on land that has produced oil wealth for decades.

Osagie Okunbor, pioneer board chairman of the company, remembers going around communities and seeing the painful contrast.

“I saw that many people still lacked basic things, especially electricity. Energy is central to development. Without it, businesses struggle, schools suffer, and hospitals cannot function well. We wanted to support solutions that are accessible, affordable and sustainable.

“We do not make a profit from it; everything that comes from other investments goes back into catalysing more businesses. Ironically, communities where we operate lack access to basic energy, so we planned to do something about it.”

The company’s model is neither a pure grant nor a hard-core commercial investment. They provide capital, loans and equity to energy companies that are too small for regular banks but too serious for pure donations. Their focus: solar home systems, mini-grids, and clean energy solutions for the places the market usually ignores.

The numbers and the reality

As of December 2025, All On has helped connect over 326,000 households, about 1.6 million Nigerians, with roughly $47 million invested across more than 50 energy businesses.

These numbers are impressive, although every Nigerian knows the real scale of the problem. Tens of millions still lack reliable power. All On’s real value has been proving that the market works. By taking the early risk, they have shown other investors that these communities are not charity cases; they are viable customers who will pay for reliable electricity.

According to Caroline Eboumbou, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, gave an insight into its vision and programmes.

“When we started in 2016, millions of Nigerians were still depending on expensive and unreliable energy sources. Our bold ambition was to catalyse a more inclusive and scalable energy future with interventions that enhance livelihoods.”

The entrepreneurs doing the real work

In Anambra State, Valentine Nnamani is showing how creative local solutions can be. His company, One Grid Energy, the first winner of the Tertiary Institutions Energy Pitch challenge (TIEC), sponsored by All On, collects plastic waste, pays the collectors, processes the waste, and uses part of the money to support energy access in the same communities. It’s the kind of innovation that needs patient funding to survive the early days, and that is exactly where All On comes in.

Nnamani and others like him still face serious challenges: banks that don’t understand mini-grid assets, unclear rules on tariffs, and the headache of dollar-priced solar equipment against naira income. But with the right support, they are pushing forward.

What light actually means for ordinary people

In Egbeke Etche, Rivers State, Augustine Obinna explains it simply.

“We now have electricity to power our homes, charge phones and pump water from boreholes without stress. It has made life easier for many people here,” he said.

For tailor, Favour Chidi in Oweikorogha, the difference is money in the pocket: “Before, we used manual machines because generators were too costly; so, we had to close early. Now, we use electric machines and can work late into the night. It has improved our business and helped us deliver jobs faster.”

This is what energy access really means in Nigeria: a woman able to finish more work and earn more money, a student reading at night, a shop selling cold drinks, and a borehole pumping water without burning expensive fuel. Small things that quietly change family fortunes.

For All On Chairman, Ronald Adams, ten years is just the foundation:

“These outcomes are not just milestones; they are proof that with the right mix of financing, technical support and partnerships, scalable energy solutions can thrive in underserved communities.

“Nigeria will not solve its power problem with off-grid solutions alone. We still need massive investment in the main grid, better policies, and honest leadership. But while those big changes are happening or not happening, communities should not be forced to sit in darkness, ” he stated.

All On’s bet is simple: Nigerians are ready to pay for reliable power. The market exists. The demand is there. What has been missing is the right kind of capital and courage to meet it.

In riverine communities like Oweikorogha and Etche, that courage is already producing results, one solar-powered day at a time.