Date: –
Client: IHS Towers
Location: Abuja, FCT Nigeria
Overview
Following its listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), IHS Towers significantly intensified its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) commitments. A central pillar of this strategy was transitioning the energy supply powering its telecommunications infrastructure across Nigeria — moving away from diesel generators and toward clean, renewable solar energy.
Green and Smart Groups was engaged to design and implement a comprehensive Solar-PV powered mini-grid system. This initiative enabled IHS Towers to deliver cleaner, more reliable, and cost-efficient power to its network of cell tower sites, supporting the company’s ESG obligations to investors and regulators following its NYSE listing.
Scope of Work
Green and Smart Consulting was responsible for the end-to-end design and implementation of the solar energy infrastructure, encompassing the following major workstreams:
- Solar-PV Power Plant Design – Engineering and design of a solar photovoltaic power plant tailored to the energy demands of IHS cell tower sites.
- Mini-Grid Implementation – Construction and deployment of a self-contained solar-PV powered mini-grid to serve multiple cell sites within a defined coverage area.
- T&D Network Implementation – Design and full deployment of a Transmission & Distribution (T&D) infrastructure to deliver generated solar power across IHS cell sites reliably and efficiently.
- Real-Time Reporting System – Integration of a digital reporting and monitoring system enabling live performance visibility, geolocation tracking, and operational oversight across all network sites.
- Stakeholder Collaboration – Active coordination with IHS Towers and the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) to ensure regulatory alignment, compliance, and smooth project execution.
Outcomes
The table below summarises the key facts, stakeholders, and technologies associated with this project:
| Client | IHS Towers |
| Implementing Firm | Green and Smart Group |
| Location | Nigeria (multiple cell tower sites) |
| Utility Partner | Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) |
| Energy System | Solar-PV powered mini-grid |
| Project Trigger | NYSE listing / ESG mandate |
| Sector | Telecommunications Infrastructure / Renewable Energy / ESG |
| Technology Used | Solar-PV generation, T&D grid infrastructure, geolocation technology, real-time digital reporting platform |
Project details
The project delivered measurable environmental, operational, and commercial outcomes for IHS Towers across its Nigerian telecommunications network:
- The Transmission & Distribution (T&D) network ensured consistent and stable power distribution across geographically dispersed cell sites, minimising network downtime and service interruptions.
- Geolocation technology and a real-time reporting platform enabled proactive site monitoring, faster issue identification and resolution, and streamlined project delivery across the entire site portfolio.
- The initiative directly supported IHS Towers’ ESG commitments post-NYSE listing, demonstrating tangible environmental accountability and governance to investors, regulators, and international stakeholders.
- The replacement of diesel with solar power reduced recurring fuel procurement and logistics costs, improving the long-term operational economics of IHS Towers’ Nigerian site portfolio.