By Abiola Bashorun
Africa needs reliable electricity, but it also needs land for food production, housing, industries, infrastructure and a growing population. Dr. Abiola Bashorun, Coordinator of the Climate-Smart Sustainability Programme (Nigeria and USA), argues that Nigeria and other African countries must rethink how renewable energy is developed by making greater use of existing rooftops and already-developed spaces before converting productive land for solar projects. She says forests, wetlands, waterways, coastlines and other ecosystems must equally be protected because millions of livelihoods depend on them. For Bashorun, the central question is whether Africa can generate more electricity without unnecessarily taking productive land away from agriculture, settlements, industry and the environment.
Bashorun believes part of the answer is already above our heads. Across Nigeria and Africa, millions of square metres of rooftops on markets, factories, warehouses, schools, hospitals, shopping centres, government buildings, transport facilities, agricultural-processing centres and residential developments receive abundant sunlight. Rather than treating these rooftops merely as coverings, she says they should increasingly be recognised as electricity-generating assets. She therefore advocates a rooftop-first approach to solar development, particularly in densely populated cities, productive agricultural areas and environmentally sensitive rural and riverine communities. This does not mean ground-mounted or utility-scale solar has no role; rather, existing rooftops, parking areas and other developed infrastructure should be considered before productive land is dedicated exclusively to solar generation.
Lagos, Bashorun says, clearly illustrates the opportunity. The city must accommodate housing, commerce, roads, industries, ports, markets, schools, hospitals and millions of residents, making land increasingly valuable. Yet factories, warehouses, markets, shopping centres, offices and residential developments have extensive roof surfaces that could potentially generate electricity without requiring additional land. She asks why a factory with thousands of square metres of roof space should remain heavily dependent on diesel generators without first determining how much daytime electricity could come from its own roof, or why large markets should have acres of roofing while traders struggle with unreliable electricity and generator costs. The same opportunity exists in Abuja, Kano, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Benin City, Akure, Abeokuta, Enugu, Onitsha and other growing cities across Nigeria and Africa.
Bashorun says major markets could become local energy hubs through properly engineered rooftop solar systems, battery storage and mini-grid infrastructure. Such electricity could power lighting, refrigeration, cold rooms, water pumping, security, ventilation, digital payment systems and thousands of small businesses, helping reduce operating costs and food spoilage while supporting pharmacies, food processors, tailors and artisans. Industrial roofs, she adds, are also economic assets because factories, warehouses and logistics facilities often have large roof areas and substantial daytime electricity demand. Solar canopies over parking areas could provide shade while generating power. Reducing dependence on diesel and other expensive forms of self-generation could improve productivity, energy security and competitiveness. Her principle is simple: before consuming additional land, make the spaces already developed work harder.
The same thinking, Bashorun argues, must extend to rural areas where land supports agriculture, livelihoods, housing, processing and ecosystems. Where possible, solar should be installed on farm buildings, poultry facilities, agricultural warehouses, processing plants, rural markets, schools and health centres before productive farmland is converted solely for energy generation. Solar can also support irrigation, water pumping, cold storage, processing equipment and rural mini-grids, while carefully designed agrivoltaic systems may allow farming and electricity generation to coexist where conditions permit. The objective, she stresses, should not be solar replacing agriculture, but solar supporting agriculture. This is particularly important in riverine communities, where usable dry land can be limited and is needed for homes, schools, markets, fishing, agriculture and small industries. Rooftop solar could provide power for water systems, clinics, schools, communications, businesses, ice-making and refrigeration, helping fishing communities preserve catches and reduce post-harvest losses.
However, Bashorun cautions that renewable-energy projects in riverine and coastal areas must be properly engineered to address humidity, salt exposure, corrosion, flooding, wind conditions, roof strength, battery safety and maintenance. Carefully planned floating solar may also have potential in suitable locations, but navigation, fisheries, water quality and ecosystems must be protected. She also links renewable energy to waste management, arguing that Nigeria cannot achieve sustainable land management without effective waste separation, recovery, recycling and responsible disposal. Households, markets, schools, farms and businesses should separate waste at source, while solar-powered or solar-supported recycling facilities could provide electricity for sorting systems, shredders, compactors, balers, conveyors, pumps, washing equipment, lighting and ventilation. Reusing, recycling and composting materials can reduce pressure on valuable landfill space, while keeping plastics and other waste out of drains, creeks and rivers can help protect fisheries, wetlands and coastal ecosystems. Open burning, she stresses, is not waste management.
For Bashorun, community participation is essential to making this approach work. Markets can establish collection points, schools can introduce waste-separation programmes, households can separate recyclable and organic materials, while local recyclers, waste collectors, community organisations, traditional institutions and private-sector businesses can participate in a circular economy. A community could generate renewable electricity locally, use some of it to support recycling and waste-processing infrastructure, recover valuable materials, reduce indiscriminate dumping and preserve land for agriculture, housing and other productive uses. She points to the Netherlands’ “solar ladder” as a useful example of prioritising buildings and developed areas before suitable countryside, while stressing that Nigeria should adapt rather than copy the Dutch model because its own agricultural, industrial, urban, rural and environmental realities are different.
Bashorun also connects the rooftop-solar strategy to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 7 on Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 9 on Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, SDG 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG 12 on Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 13 on Climate Action, SDG 14 on Life Below Water and SDG 15 on Life on Land. She stresses the need to get the science of carbon right: solar panels do not sequester carbon; their climate benefit comes mainly from reducing greenhouse-gas emissions when renewable electricity replaces fossil-fuel generation. Carbon sequestration occurs through forests, soils, wetlands, mangroves and other natural systems. Generating more electricity from rooftops could therefore reduce pressure to convert farmland, forests, wetlands and other vegetated areas that provide food, livelihoods, ecological services and carbon storage.
The connection between clean energy and international trade is also becoming more important, Bashorun says. She notes that the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism entered its definitive regime on January 1, 2026, covering selected carbon-intensive goods including cement, iron and steel, aluminium, fertilisers, electricity and hydrogen. African manufacturers therefore need to pay greater attention to carbon intensity, production costs, investment, market access and competitiveness. A Nigerian factory that reduces its dependence on high-emission electricity and diesel through rooftop solar can lower the carbon intensity of its operations, although Bashorun cautions that installing solar panels does not automatically create carbon credits. Credible carbon projects require appropriate baselines, monitoring, reporting, verification and compliance with relevant programmes. She urges Africa to pursue climate finance and carbon-market opportunities with credibility and integrity.
Bashorun believes Nigeria should now give rooftop and distributed solar a more prominent place in national, state and local planning. Major markets and industrial estates should be assessed for solar potential, while new commercial buildings should be encouraged to have solar-ready roofs. Schools, hospitals, public buildings, rural communities and riverine settlements should be evaluated according to their specific energy needs, while waste-management programmes should integrate separation, recycling and decentralised energy. Financing models and technical standards should also make systems accessible, safe, environmentally responsible and maintainable. Ultimately, Bashorun describes this as a “One Space, Multiple Benefits” approach: a market roof can shelter traders and generate electricity; a factory roof can power production; a school roof can support digital education; and a fish-processing facility can provide power for cold storage. Her guiding principle is clear: use rooftops to generate power, preserve productive land, protect rural and riverine environments, separate and recycle waste, reduce dependence on non-renewable energy, create local economic opportunities and strengthen African industries. Rooftop solar is not the entire answer to Africa’s electricity challenge, she says, but combined with responsible land management, community participation, recycling and sustainable development, it can become an important part of a broader solution that generates power without unnecessarily sacrificing the land and natural resources upon which Africa’s future depends.
Abiola Bashorun, is the Coordinator of the Climate-Smart Sustainability Programme (Nigeria and USA)
