Nigeria installed 803 megawatts of new solar capacity in 2025, a rise of 141 per cent on the previous year, making it Africa’s second-largest solar market behind South Africa, according to the Global Solar Council’s Africa Market Outlook published in February 2026.
Nigeria emerged as Africa’s second-largest solar installer in 2025 after recording a sharp rise in new capacity, according to the latest Africa Market Outlook for Solar Photovoltaic (PV) 2026–2029 report by the Global Solar Council.
The report disclosed that African countries installed 4,498 megawatts (MW) of solar PV capacity in 2025, representing a 54 per cent year-on-year increase, about 2 GW more than in 2024. This makes 2025 the strongest year on record for solar expansion on the continent, surpassing the previous high set in 2023 when nearly 3.1 GW was deployed.
It said, “Nigeria achieved the ranking following an impressive year-on-year growth of 141 per cent, driven largely by rapid expansion in distributed solar systems, high energy prices, policy concerns over potential import restrictions, and the rollout of the DARES programme.”
Data from the report show Nigeria installed about 803 MW of solar capacity in 2025, placing it behind only South Africa, which added 1,602 MW, and ahead of major markets such as Egypt and Algeria.
South Africa still dominated the continental market with a 33 per cent share of installations, while Nigeria accounted for 17 per cent, highlighting a shift toward broader participation across African countries.
Despite installing 200 MW less than in the previous year, the report revealed that Egypt remained among Africa’s top three solar markets, with 500 MW added in 2025. Construction also began on the country’s first large-scale hybrid solar-plus-storage project led by Scatec, combining 1.1 GW of solar capacity with 200 MWh of battery storage, an indication of Egypt’s strategy to deepen energy diversification.
Close behind, Algeria installed 400 MW through the commissioning of two major plants, including a 200 MW facility in Biskra and another 200 MW project at Tendla. While progress slowed due to delays at the Ouled Fadel and Guerara sites, three additional projects are already under construction and expected to come online in 2026.
It said Morocco added 204 MW, largely driven by three solar plants supplying power to OCP Green Energy. The report highlights this as evidence that corporate decarbonisation and long-term price stability are becoming powerful catalysts for national solar growth.
In southern Africa, the solar report disclosed that Zambia ranked fifth with 139 MW installed, buoyed by the commissioning of the 100 MW Chisamba solar farm, its largest project yet. Botswana followed with 120 MW from the Mmadinare project, also developed by Scatec, which includes 144 MWh of battery storage and is expected to significantly strengthen the country’s energy mix that still depends heavily on fossil fuels.
Tunisia installed 120 MW through the Kairouan solar plant, commissioned late in the year, marking the first step toward its target of deploying 500 MW within five years.
Ghana, on the other hand, added 92 MW, including a 50 MW plant in Yendi Municipality that came online toward year-end. Local developer First Sky Group also announced plans to commission another 50 MW facility in March 2026.
“Chad ranked tenth after installing 86 MW, highlighted by its first utility-scale solar facility, a 50 MW plant in N’Djamena equipped with 5MWh of battery storage. The project represents an early step toward the country’s ambition of reaching 520 MW of solar capacity by 2030,” it said.
Meanwhile, Mozambique dropped out of the top ten due to delays in major projects, though several installations scheduled for 2026 could push it back into the rankings alongside Angola.
Looking ahead, the outlook projects sustained expansion across the continent, with Africa expected to add about 31.5 GW of new solar capacity by 2029 under a medium-growth scenario, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 21 per cent.
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