GPM is holding its second Nigeria and Ghana-specific Regional Working Group in Lagos, Nigeria on the 29th & 30th of January 2014.
Green Networks – Current state in Nigeria and Ghana
Nigeria has reached an electrification rate of 55.2% of the total population with urban and rural electrification of 78% and 23% respectively. Despite a reasonably good electrification rate, as compared to other African countries, the supply of electricity is very poor. The average power availability across Nigeria’s electrified population is less than 5 hours per day and the quality of power supply is a concern especially for the telecom sector.
The power infrastructure in Ghana has developed over the years reaching an electrification rate of 77.2% of the population. 85% of the urban population have access to electricity against only 35% in rural areas. The electrification rate in Ghana has improved from around 61% in 2010 to 77.2% in 2011 while generation capacity has stagnated. This has created a supply-demand gap and affected the reliability of the grid power supply due to increased outages.
Limited reach of grid power infrastructure (especially in rural areas), deterioration in quality and availability of grid power supply where available has confronted the MNOs in both countries with various challenges in terms powering the mobile networks and has impacted service availability as well as increased the cost of operations due to heavy reliance on diesel power for primary as well as backup power source. Currently more than 50% of the network in Nigeria and Ghana is deployed in off-grid locations and is primarily powered by diesel based power solutions. Despite a huge opportunity, only less the 5% of the sites are currently powered by green power alternatives in both the countries.
Below are some of the constraints to scaling the adoption of green power for mobile networks we see in the region:
- lack of sufficient capital and proven business models
- limited technical know-how and local technical support
- technology availability
- operational challenges
There is a need for industry collaboration, business model innovations and favourable regulatory environment in order to drive scaled adoption of green power alternatives in telecom sector in a sustainable manner.
Working Group Objective
The Working Group will invite the main industry stakeholders currently focusing or operating in Nigeria and Ghana to facilitate discussions around the potential for green telecoms, associated challenges, and possible strategies to scale the adoption of green alternatives for powering telecoms in the region. The Working Group will also facilitate introduction of new technologies, sharing of knowledge, best practices and success stories amongst the industry.
Who should attend this event?
- Mobile Network Operators and Tower Companies operating in Nigeria and Ghana
- Technology providers, Equipment manufacturers and system integrators with a good track record of providing energy solutions with new developments to showcase
- Energy Service Companies(ESCOs) with a focus in the region and with innovative business models
- Development partners and investors with a strong interest in driving green telecoms
This is an invite-only conference; please email us at [email protected] to express your interest in attending the conference.