Government

Nigeria powers youth businesses with 50 solar kiosks

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July 24, 2026

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Nigeria's Nasarawa State has distributed 50 solar-powered digital business kiosks to young entrepreneurs as the pilot phase of an economic empowerment program, according to a Nasarawa Eye report.

The kiosks were designed and built locally at the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational and Technical Institute in Lafia.

Each kiosk is valued at approximately $1,820 and functions as a small, connected business center. Services include exam-result checks, television subscriptions, utility payments, bank account services, flight and hotel reservations, mobile data and airtime sales, point-of-sale transactions and solar-powered phone charging. Each unit also includes internet access, charging outlets, a solar-powered fan and more than $73 in startup capital.

The state plans to evaluate the kiosks' performance over three to four months before considering an expansion. If the pilot succeeds, the government could invest about $1.82 million to deploy 1,000 kiosks across Nasarawa State. Beneficiaries received entrepreneurship and operational training intended to help them run the kiosks as sustainable businesses.