Engineering the governance dynamics for agrivoltaics adoption in Nigeria: developmental issues and policy options for a greener energy future

Abstract Agrivoltaics presents a transformative opportunity for Nigeria by integrating renewable energy with sustainable agriculture. However, its adoption involves complex governance challenges that require coordinated policy responses to balance environmental sustainability with economic growth. The study employed interviewer-administered questionnaires to collect data from 390 purposively selected civil servants across relevant federal and state ministries in energy, agriculture, and environmental governance. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to examine factors influencing developmental challenges in agrivoltaics adoption. Our results show strong support for agrivoltaics adoption (87.69%), with key challenges including high infrastructure costs (69.23%), technical expertise gaps (83.84%), and land tenure issues (84.00%). Respondents emphasized effective governance (78.97%) and community involvement (82.06%) as essential. Regression results show that a strong policy framework significantly reduces perceived developmental challenges (β = −0.44, p = 0.00). Agrivoltaics presents a strategic solution for Nigeria’s green transition, linking sustainability, economic resilience, and food security. The OLS models show that a strong policy framework significantly reduces perceived development challenges in adopting agrivoltaics (b = −0.44, p = 0.00), with an explanatory power of 38% (R 2 = 0.38). Education (b = −0.11, p = 0.04) and work experience (b = −0.10, p = 0.04) also have significant negative effects. This study offers novel governance insights by surveying civil servants—an underrepresented group in agrivoltaics research. Addressing systemic barriers through strong institutions, policy coherence, and stakeholder inclusion is vital for scalable adoption.