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Madagascar based infrastructure group AXIAN, controlled by billionaire Hassanein Hiridjee, is pushing into Nigeria’s clean energy market through its energy platform WeLight, betting that demand for off grid power and development finance support will create room for rapid expansion.
The move places AXIAN in one of Africa’s biggest and most competitive electricity access markets, where millions of homes and small businesses still rely on generators or have limited grid supply. Nigeria has become a key target for private renewable developers because of its scale and the government backed push to expand distributed energy.
WeLight, part of AXIAN Energy, has already signed an agreement with Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency to deploy and operate 400 mini grids and 50 metrogrids by 2030. The plan is aimed at underserved rural and peri urban communities and could bring first time or improved electricity access to as many as 2 million people.
Why Nigeria is a strategic target
Nigeria offers a rare combination of large unmet demand, a growing private mini grid market and public programs designed to crowd in private capital. AXIAN’s timing is closely tied to the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale up program, known as DARES, which is structured to support electricity access for households and small businesses through private sector led distributed renewable energy.
That framework matters for developers because it can reduce project risk and improve bankability, especially in communities where affordability, collections and connection growth can take time.
AXIAN’s existing energy footprint in Africa
AXIAN is not entering renewables as a newcomer. Through AXIAN Energy and subsidiaries including NEA and WeLight, the group already operates solar and hybrid power projects across several African markets and has built a presence in both utility scale and distributed energy.
Public information from the group shows operational photovoltaic plants in countries including Madagascar, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Rwanda, alongside rural electrification work in Madagascar and Mali. AXIAN has presented this as part of a broader strategy to expand greener energy access across the continent.
What comes next for the Nigeria plan
The Nigeria expansion will test AXIAN’s ability to scale quickly in a market where demand is large but execution is complex. Mini grid developers often face land access issues, currency pressure, equipment import delays and the challenge of keeping tariffs affordable while maintaining returns.
Nigeria also has more developers pursuing the same opportunity, which means AXIAN and WeLight will need to move fast on site selection, financing and delivery.
The upside is substantial if the rollout stays on track. A successful buildout would give AXIAN one of the largest distributed renewable footprints in Nigeria and strengthen its position as a pan African energy operator at a time when investors are paying closer attention to practical power access solutions, not just headline generation targets.
