Across the sun-drenched landscapes of West Africa, a quiet revolution is brewing. As the relentless pressures of a burgeoning population, degraded lands, and a changing climate bear down on food and energy resources, an ingenious solution is emerging from the intersection of agriculture and technology: agrivoltaics. This innovative approach, which sees solar panels sharing farmland with crops, offers a tantalising glimpse of a more resilient future for nations like Ghana and Nigeria, countries poised to become pioneers in “harvesting sunlight twice.”
The stark realities facing these nations are undeniable. Nigeria, despite its vast oil and gas reserves and abundant renewable potential, leaves half its population in darkness, with rural areas particularly underserved. Ghana, while showing commitment to green energy, grapples with investment hurdles and technical know-how. Simultaneously, the very bedrock of their economies – agriculture – is increasingly vulnerable to the erratic whims of climate change, with droughts, floods, and desert encroachment threatening food security, especially for rural communities clinging to rain-fed farming.
Yet, amidst these challenges, a beacon of hope shines through. Agrivoltaics, the clever cohabitation of solar energy generation and agricultural production on the same patch of land, presents a compelling pathway to navigate this complex food-energy-land nexus. As Patrick Dapaa Kwao, a PhD student at Oregon State University specializing in renewable energy policy, explains, this dual-use strategy elegantly sidesteps the “competing tradeoffs involving land that is useful for two activities.”
The benefits extend beyond mere land conservation. Surprisingly, the strategic placement of solar panels can even enhance crop yields. By providing shade, these panels act as a natural shield against scorching temperatures and extreme weather, creating a more stable microclimate for plants to thrive. Moreover, research indicates that agrivoltaic systems can lead to significant reductions in water usage. As Kwao points out, “many crops do not require all the sunshine they are exposed to,” and the panels can be designed to capture precious rainwater for irrigation, a game-changer in drought-prone regions. The result? A powerful synergy: clean energy generation coupled with sustained, and potentially even improved, food cultivation.
However, the path to widespread adoption in West Africa is not without its obstacles. Current land and energy regulations in both Ghana and Nigeria are not designed to accommodate this novel dual land use, creating a legal grey area for potential investors. Furthermore, the complexities of existing land tenure systems, particularly in rural areas with communal ownership, raise concerns about potential land disputes as solar projects expand. The significant upfront costs associated with renewable energy projects, compounded by a lack of specific incentives for agrivoltaics, further complicate the picture.
To unlock the transformative potential of agrivoltaics, policymakers must act decisively. Clear and forward-thinking policies are needed to formally recognise agrivoltaic systems as an integrated land-use model. This should be accompanied by efforts to formalise land tenure systems, safeguarding the rights of local communities. Crucially, governments must implement supportive financial mechanisms, such as tax breaks, grants, and low-interest loans, to attract private sector investment and share the initial risks. Exploring local manufacturing of PV components could further boost the sector, reducing reliance on imports and creating much-needed jobs.
While agrivoltaics is not a silver bullet for all the region’s challenges, it offers a powerful and integrated response to mitigating climate risks in agriculture, optimising land use in densely populated areas, and creating decentralised energy sources. The current “sectoral thinking” that keeps these areas separate must give way to a “systems thinking” approach, recognising that land can be a resource that yields multiple benefits.
This vision is set to gain momentum with an upcoming visit from a team of researchers from Oregon State University in July 2025. Led by experts like Kwao and David Bernell, an Associate Professor at Oregon State University with extensive experience in energy security and policy, the team will collaborate with local researchers at the University of Ghana in Accra and the African University of Science and Technology in Abuja. Their mission: to explore the practicalities of pilot agrivoltaic projects, strategically integrating technological insights with effective policy frameworks to pave the way for widespread adoption across West Africa.
As Bernell emphasises, the ultimate goal is to demonstrate how a “strategic integration of technological insights and policy frameworks can drive the adoption of agrivoltaics across West Africa,” achieving the dual benefits of electricity generation and climate change mitigation while simultaneously bolstering food security and agricultural productivity.
The stage is set for Ghana and Nigeria to potentially lead the charge, demonstrating to the rest of the continent how the sun’s energy can be ingeniously “harvested twice” – first to nourish the land and then to power a more resilient future for all. The world will be watching to see if these West African giants can seize this opportunity and illuminate a sustainable path forward.
