Turning Data Into Power: Framework Aims to Accelerate Nigeria’s Clean Energy Transition

In September 2025, the World Bank, working with Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and supported by data experts from Open Data Services, launched a Responsible Data Sharing Framework (RDSF) to guide the distributed renewable energy sector. Developed as part of the Nigeria Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) project, the framework reflects a year of collaboration with over 25 stakeholders from government, private industry, and civil society. At stake is more than paperwork. Globally, approximately 750 million people still live without access to electricity, with more than half residing in Sub-Saharan Africa. Distributed renewable energy (DRE), mini-grids, standalone solar systems, and pay-as-you-go services have emerged as the most practical solution to extend power to these underserved regions. Through DARES, Nigeria alone hopes to connect 17.5 million people to clean energy and retire more than 280,000 noisy and polluting diesel and petrol generators. At the heart of this effort lies the question of how to manage and share the wealth of data being generated in ways that strengthen outcomes without undermining privacy, security, or trust.

Building Trust Through Responsible Data

The RDSF provides a set of principles that transform scattered information flows into shared resources. Data in the DRE sector originates from various sources, including smart meters that track usage, customer platforms that record payments, and monitoring tools that generate performance metrics. Yet these data streams often remain siloed, inconsistent, or poorly aligned with decision-making needs. The REA, under the new framework, acts both as a convenor, bringing together developers, financiers, regulators, and NGOs, and as the primary processor of sector-wide information. While electricity users do not directly handle the framework, they remain its ultimate beneficiaries, as their personal data is protected by strict safeguards.

Three principles form the backbone of the model. Consent ensures that all stakeholders agree on the purposes of data sharing and that roles and responsibilities are clearly spelled out. Coordination emphasizes the adoption of common standards, reducing inefficiencies and allowing data to be interpreted consistently across projects. Collaboration treats data as a shared asset, encouraging investments in capacity building, long-term systems, and joint learning. The report’s diagrams show how these principles play out in practice: mini-grid developers exchange data with aggregation platforms through application programming interfaces, while pay-as-you-go solar distributors pass customer and performance data to regulators and manufacturers via third-party platforms.

Early Lessons from the Nigerian Pilot

The first months of implementation in Nigeria have underscored both the promise and the challenges of the framework. For the REA, the presence of a formal agreement has brought structure and accountability, though officials note the need for tools to track developer commitments across the project lifecycle. Odyssey Energy Solutions, which manages the data platform for DARES, observed that earlier programs often introduced data requirements too late in the application process. Under the RDSF, expectations are explicit from the outset, reducing uncertainty and improving data quality.

For Prado Power, a Nigerian solar developer, the challenge has been translating the framework’s provisions into practice in rural areas. Limited connectivity and the diversity of local languages required significant investments in training and translation. Field teams worked closely with community leaders to ensure respectful and accurate data collection, even adapting terms to fit cultural norms. Prado Power also valued the framework’s push for granular insights, such as tracking electrification impacts in women-led households, which help reveal the social dimensions of energy access. SunKing, one of the largest solar companies in Nigeria, advocated for even greater transparency, proposing public dashboards to display deployment data in real time. This, it argued, would support sector-wide coordination and give the public and policymakers a clearer view of electrification progress.

Designing for Flexibility and Accountability

Beyond these case studies, the Nigerian pilot has revealed broader lessons about how responsible data frameworks can be built. Trust had to be established early, not only through written rules but also through sustained engagement with stakeholders. Many were already familiar with the concept of data governance, but the specific language and scope of the RDSF required explanation and dialogue. Co-designing the framework with its intended users helped build credibility. Yet, as the REA pointed out, confidence built during design must be sustained through clear oversight during implementation.

Flexibility also proved essential. The framework needed to work for different project types and comply with Nigeria’s Data Protection Act of 2023. It had to allow for tailored arrangements while maintaining a common foundation. Some organizations found that the RDSF confirmed the robustness of their practices, while others used it to identify gaps and improve. Practical tools, including walkthroughs, checklists, and training, helped ensure that the framework moved from principle to practice. These instruments supported developers in understanding what data was required, how it would be used, and how it would be protected.

Looking Ahead to a More Transparent Future

The broader significance of the RDSF lies in its potential as a model for other countries seeking to expand renewable energy access. By replacing ambiguity with structure, it offers a consistent approach to data governance across a fragmented sector. But it also demonstrates that data frameworks are not just technical instruments; they are social compacts, shaped by collaboration, trust, and adaptation to local realities.

As technologies such as artificial intelligence and advanced analytics become embedded in energy planning, the demand for high-quality, responsibly managed data will only increase. These tools thrive on large and diverse datasets drawn from multiple organizations, making agreed-upon rules on privacy, ethics, and accountability even more critical. The Nigerian experience shows that responsible data sharing is a two-step process: first, building trust through inclusive design, and second, sustaining it with clear oversight in implementation.

The World Bank positions the framework not as an end in itself but as a catalyst for stronger outcomes. The goal is not data for its own sake, but a more connected and capable renewable energy sector that delivers reliable, clean power to millions still waiting. If refined and scaled, responsible data-sharing frameworks can ensure that Africa’s rapid transition to renewable energy remains anchored in transparency, inclusivity, and resilience.