Solar-powered grids bring light to rural Nigeria

Andat Datau used to deliver babies by torchlight, but now the nurse, who works in the Nigerian village of Sabon Gida, enjoys constant electricity courtesy of a solar-powered mini-grid. For a country in which 40 percent of the population lives without access to electricity, often relying on expensive and polluting alternatives, these mini-grids have immense potential. A number of African countries, like Kenya, Ethiopia and Zambia have made moves to encourage investment in such systems, which have been made more affordable as solar technology costs come down.