Band A tariff
₦209.50/kWh
NERC MYTO, from 7 December 2025
Solar in Nigeria
Nigeria has the largest electricity-access gap in the world and the most active residential solar market in West Africa. This hub holds ZEUS's current Nigerian data (prices, tariff, fuel, solar yield) and routes you to the page for each decision.
Petrol, pump
₦1.400–1.450/L
Lagos & Abuja, 13 September 2026
Diesel, gantry
₦1.850/L
Dangote, 4 September 2026
USD/NGN
₦1.326
CBN NFEM, 14 September 2026
Solar yield, Lagos
3.63kWh/kWp/day
Kano 4.65 · Global Solar Atlas
Start with the decision you are making
One page per question. Each carries its own price table, formulas and sources.
01 · PanelsHow much is a solar panel?Price by wattage, per-watt cost, Tier-1 brand ranges, real output per city, how many panels a home needs.550 W: ₦115k–₦165k02 · BatteriesWhich battery, what size?Tubular vs LiFePO₄; usable capacity, depth of discharge, cycle life, backup-hours maths, inverter voltage match.5 kWh LiFePO₄: ₦995k–₦1.8m03 · InvertersWhat kVA do I need?kVA vs kW, surge, 12/24/48 V, MPPT input range, hybrid vs off-grid, 1–10 kVA prices.5 kVA hybrid: ₦420k–₦750k04 · SystemsWhat does a full system cost?1.5 to 10 kVA compared: panels, battery, what each runs at once, installed price ranges.5 kVA: ₦2m–₦5.5m installed05 · InstallationHow is it installed, and for how much?Load audit to commissioning; protection devices, earthing, cable sizing; installer checklist and labour cost.Labour ≈ 10–15% of hardware06 · EconomicsIs solar cheaper than my generator?Cost per kWh from petrol at ₦1.400/L vs Band A at ₦209.5/kWh vs solar-plus-storage, with payback.Calculator with editable inputs
Market inputs, 16 September 2026
The figures every other page and every calculator use. Each is dated and sourced.
Nigeria solar market inputsnaira · checked 16 September 2026
| Input | Value | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grid tariff, Band A | ₦209.50/kWh (EEDC ₦160.00) | 7 December 2025 | NERC MYTO Nov 2025 via BillsGuide |
| Petrol, Dangote gantry | ₦1.350/L | 12 September 2026 | Vanguard |
| Petrol, pump (Lagos–Abuja) | ₦1.400–1.450/L | 13 September 2026 | Nairametrics |
| Diesel, Dangote gantry | ₦1.850/L (retail to ₦2.020) | 4 September 2026 | PM News |
| Exchange rate, CBN NFEM | ₦1.326,3/$ (parallel ₦1.385–1.410) | 14 September 2026 | Vanguard |
| Import duty and VAT on solar | 0% duty (ECOWAS CET); VAT zero-rated | Apr 2026 reporting | Nairametrics, PV Knowhow |
| Population with electricity access | 61.2% | 2023 | World Bank WDI |
| Solar yield, Lagos / Abuja / Kano | 3.63 / 4.13 / 4.65 kWh/kWp/day | GSA data Apr 2026 | Global Solar Atlas, ZEUS table |
Why Nigerian solar sizing goes wrong
Three habits produce most of the disappointed buyers ZEUS hears about.
Sizing on "5 peak sun hours". Long-term yield for a fixed array is 3.63 kWh/kWp/day in Lagos, 3.43 in Port Harcourt, 4.13 in Abuja and 4.65 in Kano, and the wettest month in Lagos drops to 3.15. Panel counts quoted for the north do not transfer to the coast.
Reading kVA as kW. A "5 kVA" inverter is usually 4 kW of continuous output (power factor 0.8), and a 200 Ah tubular battery holds about 1.2 kWh you can actually use, not 2.4.
Buying a package, not a design. "5 kVA, 4 batteries, 6 panels" is a stock list. Whether it runs your AC at 9 pm depends on your load audit, your city and the month.
The short version
Typical 3-bed home
10–15 kWh/day
with one inverter AC used in the evening
PV needed, Lagos
4.4–5.5 kWp
8–10 × 550 W, worst month
PV needed, Kano
3.4–4.3 kWp
7–8 × 550 W
Battery for evening AC
10 kWh LiFePO₄
≈ 9 kWh usable at 90% DoD
Illustrative for a 3-bedroom home with a 12 kWh/day audit. Run your own numbers in the sizing calculator.
Solar resource by city
Nigeria's north gets roughly 25–35% more electricity per installed kilowatt than the coast, and the difference between the best and worst months is larger in the south. ZEUS keeps a 14-city table with monthly profiles, optimum tilt and the worst month for sizing.
Nigeria solar resource by city →
Tools that use this data
- System sizing, per city and on the worst month
- Panel count and roof area
- Battery runtime
- Generator vs solar cost
Policy notes that affect prices
Solar panels: 0% import duty under the ECOWAS Common External Tariff 2022–2027; solar panels, inverters, batteries and charge controllers zero-rated for VAT (Nigeria Customs circular T&T/2024/18; Nigeria Tax Act s.144). Contested before; treat as the current position, not a guarantee. Sellers still pay import logistics, port charges and dollar sourcing, which is why panel prices move with the naira: a ₦115k–₦165k 550 W panel is roughly $87–124 at the CBN rate, in line with landed Tier-1 module cost plus margin.
Grid tariffs are set by NERC through Multi-Year Tariff Orders and reviewed periodically; Band A customers (promised 20+ hours a day) pay the highest rate, which is the rate most relevant to households considering solar as a replacement rather than a supplement. Lower bands pay less but receive fewer hours. See the economics page for how the tariff compares per kWh with generator and solar power.
ZEUS does not sell or install equipment and has no commercial relationship with any brand or retailer named on this page.
Sources
- NERC — Service Based Tariff bands (FAQ) — nerc.gov.ng/faq/electricity-tariffs
- BillsGuide.ng — Band A per DisCo, MYTO Nov 2025 (verified Apr 2026) — www.billsguide.ng/electricity-rates
- Vanguard — Dangote adjusts petrol price to ₦1,350/L (12 Sep 2026) — www.vanguardngr.com/2026/09/dangote-adjusts-petrol-price-6-7-to-n1350-litre
- Nairametrics — petrol above ₦1,400/L as crude passes $100 (13 Sep 2026) — nairametrics.com/2026/09/13/petrol-rises-above-n1400-litre-as-crude-oil-climbs-past-100-per-barrel
- GlobalPetrolPrices — Nigeria gasoline ₦1,289.50/L (7 Sep 2026) — www.globalpetrolprices.com/Nigeria/gasoline_prices
- PM News — diesel from ₦1,800 to over ₦2,000/L (5 Sep 2026) — pmnewsnigeria.com/2026/09/05/diesel-price-spikes-from-n1800-to-over-n2000-litre
- CBN NFEM closing rate (Vanguard, 15 Sep 2026) — www.vanguardngr.com/2026/09/dollar-to-naira-exchange-rate-today-september-15-2026
- Nairametrics — CPPE on solar import duties and VAT (20 Apr 2026) — nairametrics.com/2026/04/20/cppe-asks-fg-to-cut-solar-import-duties-to-5-grant-vat-waiver
- Eneronix — The Nigerian solar market: what has changed — eneronix.com/the-nigerian-solar-market
- PV Knowhow — Nigeria Customs clarifies duty-free solar panels — www.pvknowhow.com/news/nigerian-customs-declare-solar-panels-duty-free
- World Bank WDI — Access to electricity (% of population), Nigeria — data.worldbank.org/indicator/EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS?locations=NG
- Global Solar Atlas 2.0 — Solargis, World Bank / ESMAP (PVOUT layer, data v2.2.68, Apr 2026) — globalsolaratlas.info
- Solar Energy Supply Stores — panel, battery and inverter price lists (25 Aug 2026) — solarenergysupplystores.com/solar-panel-price-in-nigeria
- Nigeria Housing Market — 2026 solar panel price list (16 Jan 2026) — www.nigeriahousingmarket.com/guides/cost-of-solar-panel-in-nigeria-2026-price-list
- SolarDecide — 5kVA system cost breakdown, Lagos/Abuja dealers (Apr 2026) — solardecide.com/blog/5kva-solar-system-cost-nigeria-2026
- Mercury Direct — 5kVA inverter guide, prices and batteries (2026) — mercurydirect.com.ng/5kva-inverter-guide-nigeria
- Rayspark — lithium battery price guide (2026) — www.rayspark.com.ng/guide/lithium-battery-for-solar-price-in-nigeria
- Kara.com.ng — 2026 solar price list (retailer blog) — blog.kara.com.ng/2026-solar-price-list-how-much-does-a-5kva-system-cost-in-nigeria-today
- BusinessDay — What it costs to install solar in Nigeria today — businessday.ng/energy/article/what-it-costs-to-install-solar-in-nigeria-today