Techno-Economic Feasibility of Offshore Wind Energy Development Along Nigeria’s Atlantic Coastline

Offshore wind energy development has emerged as a significant component of the global renewable energy transition, yet its applicability along West Africa's Atlantic coastline, including Nigeria's exclusive economic zone, has not been rigorously assessed against current technology cost trajectories and local grid integration requirements. This study conducts a techno-economic feasibility assessment of offshore wind energy development along Nigeria's Atlantic coastline, focusing on resource characterisation, water depth mapping, cable routing logistics, and cost modelling. Wind speed and direction data at hub heights of 80 to 150 metres were extracted from ERA5 reanalysis datasets for a 20-year period and statistically characterised for candidate zones off Lagos, Delta, and Ondo States. Bathymetric data were used to map zones suitable for fixed-bottom and floating turbine foundations. Levelised cost of energy calculations were performed for three representative project scales under optimistic, central, and conservative capital cost assumptions sourced from recent global offshore wind procurement data adjusted for Nigerian logistics premiums. Results indicate that near-term levelised cost estimates of 95 to 140 US dollars per megawatt-hour exceed current onshore solar costs but represent a declining cost trajectory as supply chains mature. The study identifies near-shore zones off Ondo State as the most technically promising site cluster and recommends a government-led offshore wind resource mapping programme as a prerequisite for investor engagement. Keywords: offshore wind, feasibility, Nigeria coastline, levelised cost of energy, Atlantic wind resources.