Zero Carbon Lighting for Energy Transition, 2025 Nigeria International Lighting Exhibition Opens in Lagos

At the Landmark Center in Lagos, Nigeria, the only professional lighting exhibition in West Africa is witnessing a new breakthrough in China-Africa cooperation in the field of lighting and energy.

On September 17, 2025, the Nigeria International Lighting Exhibition (NILE) kicked off in Lagos. With the theme of ” Zero Carbon Lighting: Supporting Nigeria’s Energy Transition Goals “, the exhibition focuses on solar lighting, intelligent control systems and other innovative technologies, aiming to provide sustainable lighting solutions for Nigeria and the entire West African region.

Yan Yuqing, Consul General of China in Lagos, said in his opening speech that under the joint leadership of the leaders of the two countries, China-Nigeria relations have maintained a good momentum of development and deepened cooperation in various fields.

The in-depth connection between the “Belt and Road” initiative and Nigeria’s “Rekindle Hope” strategy has opened up a broad space for economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

01 Exhibition Spectacular: Zero-Carbon Lighting in the Spotlight

The 2025 Nigeria International Lighting Exhibition was held from September 17 to 19 at the Landmark Center in Lagos, Nigeria. As the only professional lighting exhibition in all of West Africa, the show attracted about 100 exhibitors and 5,000 professional visitors.

Lisa Lin, General Manager of the show organizer, said, “Lighting has become a pioneer of green energy, a lifeline for smart cities, and a bridge to health, efficiency and a sustainable future. We will showcase innovative technologies such as solar-powered lights and smart devices that can adjust brightness through sensors and pre-set programs.”

These technological displays coincide with Nigeria’s urgent need for clean energy technologies. The Lagos State Director of Energy and Mining, Mr. Ogunleye, believed that the exhibition would promote the development of economic and trade relations between China and Nigeria, and expressed the willingness of the Lagos State Government to work with the Chinese side to achieve common prosperity.

02 Market Background: Africa’s Lighting Market Has Huge Potential

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, with a population of over 230 million, and is expected to continue to grow rapidly in the coming years. Population growth creates a huge demand for housing, infrastructure and public services, which in turn stimulates increased demand for lighting products.

Data show that the size of the Nigerian lighting market is expected to reach 500 million U.S. dollars in 2025, and will exceed 740 million U.S. dollars in 2030. 2023 Nigeria’s total imports of lighting amounted to 200 million U.S. dollars, of which 120 million U.S. dollars, accounting for 60% of imports of lighting from China.

In his speech, Consul General Yan Yuqing mentioned that “China-Nepal trade reaches nearly $21.9 billion in 2024, reflecting deepening cooperation in infrastructure, investment and technology.” This indicates that China-Nepal economic and trade relations are strengthening, providing a solid foundation for cooperation between the two countries in the field of lighting.

03 Zero-carbon lighting: supporting Nigeria’s energy transition

The theme of this year’s show, “Zero Carbon Lighting: Supporting Nigeria’s Energy Transition Goals”, reflects the urgent need for sustainable energy solutions in Nigeria. According to the organizers, the show will showcase cutting-edge zero-carbon lighting technologies in support of Nigeria’s energy transition goals.

The Lagos State Minister of Energy and Mines, Biodun Ogunleye, was on hand to present the government’s lighting program, “For us, lighting means more than just visibility, safety, productivity and prosperity. For a mega city like Lagos, it is of strategic importance.”

Ogunleye disclosed that Lagos is in the process of converting 22,000 street lights to solar energy, and that 32 general hospitals, 236 health centers and over 2,000 schools will benefit from sustainable, low-emission power.

“We look forward to a Lagos where every nook and cranny is lit up at night, giving people access to safe, functional and reliable energy.”

04 Sino-Nepalese Cooperation: Building the Future of Lighting

At the opening ceremony, Consul General Yan Yuqing promoted the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) as a Chinese solution to global challenges and a new space of cooperation for the wider global South. She hoped that entrepreneurs of the two countries would actively expand their cooperation and contribute to the promotion of China-Nepal economic and trade relations to new heights.

Since the formal establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Nepal in February 1971, bilateral relations have been friendly for a long time. In recent years, high-level visits have been frequent, the friendly relations between China and Nepal have been continuously consolidated, and bilateral economic and trade cooperation has achieved fruitful results.

As of February 2024, Nigeria is China’s second-largest export market, second-largest trading partner, first-largest contracting market and major investment destination in Africa. This close economic and trade relationship provides a good foundation for cooperation between the two countries in the field of lighting.

05 Technology Trends: Smart, Solar and Diversified Applications

This year’s exhibition showcased a wide range of lighting technology trends. LED lighting products will continue to grow in popularity and will dominate the Nigerian lighting market due to their energy efficiency, environmental friendliness, long lifespan and high color rendering index.

Solar LED lighting products will be widely used. In areas where there is a shortage of electricity supply, solar-powered LED lighting products will be widely used, especially in rural areas and outdoor lighting.

Smart lighting systems will gradually be popularized. In the capital city of Abuja and the largest city of Lagos, with the rapid development of smart home technology, smart lighting systems will also gradually popularize, providing users with more convenient and comfortable lighting experience.

The Nigerian lighting market demand is diversified, including household lighting, commercial lighting, industrial lighting, road lighting, outdoor lighting and so on. Different application areas have different needs for lighting products, which provides enterprises with a broad space for product innovation.

06 Policy Support: Government Promotes Lighting Industry

The Nigerian government has developed a series of policies to support the lighting industry. The market environment is more stable and the demand for green lighting products is increasing. These factors provide favorable conditions for the development of the lighting market.

The Lagos State Lighting Program is a prime example of government policy support.Director Ogunleye said, “We look forward to a Lagos where every corner is lit up at night, giving people access to safe, functional and reliable energy.”

Such a policy environment provides lighting companies with broad market opportunities. Especially in the field of road lighting, outdoor lighting and other areas there is a huge gap, which provides a broad space for the application of lighting products, but also for the relevant enterprises to bring great investment opportunities.

07 Challenges and Opportunities: The Nigerian Lighting Market Outlook

While the Nigerian lighting market is promising, it faces a number of challenges. Infrastructure development is relatively poor, especially in the areas of street lighting and outdoor lighting, there is a huge gap.

Shortage of electricity supply is also a big problem. In areas where there is a shortage of electricity supply, solar-powered LED lighting products will be widely used, especially in rural areas and outdoor lighting. This is both a challenge and an opportunity.

In terms of market competition, Chinese companies are leading the Nigerian lighting industry because of superior quality, lower product prices and products that precisely cut into market pain points. The Nigerian lighting industry is highly competitive, but the market share is fragmented.

08 Future perspectives: convergence of lighting technology and sustainable energy

Consul General Yan Yuqing noted that the African lighting market is expected to grow rapidly, driven by demand for LEDs, solar energy and smart systems. This suggests that future lighting technologies will be more closely aligned with sustainable energy.

Innovations such as solar-powered lamps and smart devices that can be adjusted in terms of brightness by means of sensors and preset programs, emphasized by trade fair manager Lisa Lin, represent the future direction of lighting technology.

These technologies not only provide lighting solutions, but also help reduce carbon emissions and support global efforts to combat climate change.

As the middle class population in Nigeria increases and consumption levels rise, so does the demand for high quality lighting products. Accelerated urbanization and the rising share of the urban population are creating a huge demand for the construction and renovation of urban lighting infrastructure.

The Lagos State Director of Energy and Mines, Ogunleye, has disclosed that the state is in the process of converting 22,000 street lights to solar energy, while 32 general hospitals, 236 health centers and over 2,000 schools will also benefit from sustainable, low-emission power.

Lighting is not just about visibility; it is a symbol of security, productivity and prosperity. As China-Nigeria cooperation deepens, the vision of “Lighting up every corner of Nigeria” is gradually being realized.