Yuchen Wang, The Political Economy of Solar Energy in West Africa

This project explores the political economy of solar energy in West Africa, where solar photovoltaic (PV) has become the dominant form of renewable energy investment over the past decade. Recognising the promise of solar energy in addressing the region’s growing energy deficit and stimulating economic growth, West African governments are increasingly adopting policies and plans to promote the sector, ranging from tax exemptions to local content requirements. Countries like Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Côte d’Ivoire are actively expanding their solar capacity, ranking among the ten fastest-growing solar markets on the continent in 2024. External actors such as European countries and China are also shaping the region’s energy future through trade, technology transfer, and project financing. The Africa Strategy of the Netherlands (2023-2032) highlights solar energy as a key solution to Africa’s electricity access challenges and prioritises it in the country’s engagement with Nigeria. Given these emerging dynamics, a study of the political economy of solar energy in West Africa holds significant potential to enrich our understanding of the region’s energy-development nexus and to offer insights into the continent’s global connections.

This research will pursue three interrelated directions: (1) comparing national solar strategies and their implementation across West African countries; (2) analysing the role of regional institutions in shaping solar energy cooperation; and (3) examining how global investment and trade networks influence, and are influenced by, local actors and institutions in West Africa’s solar sector.

The project adopts a qualitative approach, including interviews with policymakers, solar industry professionals, and representatives of regional organisations; policy document analysis; and field visits to relevant institutions and project sites in countries such as Ghana, Senegal, Benin, and Cabo Verde.

Keywords: West Africa; solar energy; industrial policy; state-business relations; energy regionalism; foreign investment and trade.