Nigeria’s long delayed Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is set to be rescued by thousands of AI-driven, solar-powered streetlights that turn it into a revenue-generating asset.
British greentech firm Conflow Power Group, working in partnership with Nigerian infrastructure company Mora Energy, has announced a plan under discussion with the Nigerian government to solve the highway’s financing crisis by providing thousands of iLamps – solar-powered streetlights that double as a distributed AI data centre.
No external electricity supply is required, and every iLamp is packed with Nvidia AI processors, meaning that they provide significant revenue because AI providers such as OpenAI pay for the processing power.
Through a partnership with British firm AI Factories Limited, each iLamp unit becomes a node in a distributed AI computing network, generating up to $4,500 annually paid by the AI firms.
Deployed across the 700km corridor, the proposed 28,000 iLamps would generate $1.26 billion in annual revenue, helping fund construction of the highway.
Stanley Chuka-Umeora, Founder of Mora Energy, said: “Our government contacts immediately understood the significance of what Conflow was proposing. For 50 years, Nigeria has struggled with this project because we were applying 20th-century solutions to 21st-century problems. iLamp represents genuinely innovative thinking. It is not just infrastructure, it is revenue-generating technology that brings AI capabilities to Nigeria for the first time.
“Government officials were particularly impressed that iLamp solves multiple problems simultaneously. It’s not just about financing, it’s about security, communications infrastructure, and bringing cutting-edge technology to Nigerian communities.”
Zainu Goba, CEO of iLamp Africa, said: “The financial mathematics are compelling. iLamp doesn’t just provide lighting and security, it creates a new revenue stream that could contribute more than a billion dollars towards project costs annually. Combined with zero operational costs through solar power, this improves the project’s attractiveness to private investors and has the potential to positively transform the lives of millions of Nigerians.”
Under the iLamp proposal, revenue generation would begin as soon as sections of the highway are completed, reducing reliance on tolling and public funding. The smart streetlights also provide high-efficiency LED lighting, surveillance cameras, vehicle recognition, emergency response systems, public connectivity and environmental monitoring – all powered entirely by solar energy.
The deployment would also establish one of Africa’s largest distributed AI computing networks, enabling AI services to be processed locally rather than overseas, which would support Nigeria’s growing tech sector and position the country as a regional hub for AI infrastructure.
The iLamp Africa team and Mora Energy are continuing discussions with the Nigerian Government and project partners to explore formal integration of iLamp technology into the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
First proposed in the 1970s, the highway spans 700km and is designed to connect nine coastal states, unlocking trade, tourism and economic growth across southern Nigeria. Despite its strategic importance, the project has been repeatedly delayed by funding shortfalls, political changes and economic instability.
Construction resumed in 2024, but only $747 million has so far been secured – less than 6% of the estimated $11–12.5 billion total cost, leaving a funding gap of more than $10 billion and raising fears the project could again stall.
