Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems for Rural Electrification in Nigeria: A Critical Review of Renewable Energy Resources and Challenges

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@article{1722900,
      author = {Gbopa A. R., Adepoju G. A., Adeyemo I. A., Ogundeji O. A.},
      title = {Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems for Rural Electrification in Nigeria: A Critical Review of Renewable Energy Resources and Challenges},
      journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
      year = {2026},
      volume = {10},
      number = {3},
      pages = {953-968},
      issn = {2456-8880},
      url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1722900.pdf},
      abstract = {Nigeria continues to face inadequate and unreliable electricity supply, particularly in rural communities where grid extension is often technically and economically challenging. Although the country has substantial solar, hydropower, biomass, and wind resources, their spatial and seasonal variability limits the suitability of uniform renewable-energy solutions. This review critically synthesizes evidence on renewable-resource characteristics, HRES suitability, and deployment challenges for rural electrification in Nigeria using a structured literature-review approach. The analysis indicates that resource abundance alone is insufficient for HRES selection; system suitability depends on local resource quality, temporal complementarity, electricity demand, storage requirements, technology costs, infrastructure, and socioeconomic conditions. Solar PV offers the broadest geographical applicability, while hydropower and biomass can provide more controllable generation where suitable water resources and sustainable feedstock are available. Wind energy is more location-dependent and should be incorporated only where adequate wind regimes are demonstrated. The review further shows that adding technologies does not necessarily improve system performance because increased component numbers and storage capacity can raise capital, maintenance, and replacement costs. Major deployment barriers include financing constraints, battery degradation, biomass supply-chain limitations, inadequate infrastructure, limited technical capacity, operation and maintenance challenges, policy constraints, and insufficient field validation. The review identifies methodological inconsistencies in resource datasets, load profiles, economic assumptions, and performance indicators that limit cross-study comparison and generalization. Future research should therefore prioritize standardized, site-specific and time-resolved datasets, lifecycle and degradation modelling, integrated technical-economic-environmental and socioeconomic assessment, and long-term field validation. Overall, reliable and affordable rural HRES deployment in Nigeria requires location-specific configuration based on resource complementarity and local demand rather than resource potential alone.},
      keywords = {Hybrid renewable energy systems; rural electrification; Nigeria; solar energy; hydropower; biomass; wind energy; renewable energy resources; rural communities.},
      month = {September},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I3-1722900}
  }