Social Perceptions and Behavioral Change: Promoting Renewable Energy Adoption in Underserved Communities in Nigeria

Renewable energy is a promising alternative to fossil fuels, but many developing countries still lag behind. This paper assesses the social perceptions and behavioral change: promoting renewable energy adoption in underserved communities in Nigeria. Climate change, exacerbated by human-induced carbon emissions, is a major threat in developing nations like Nigeria, but its adoption is hindered by public resistance. In Nigeria, underserved communities dominate the economy, and factors such as knowledge, government policies, trust, peer-group influence, and technology acceptance influence adoption. The study adopted the multistage procedure to select 91 papers and public opinions, with 14 articles selected for academic literature and 14 from technical reports and official websites. The review revealed that the Nigeria societies perceived that renewable energy is not suitable for their needs, often due to a lack of understanding about its potential to address local energy challenges. It was recommended that both private enterprises and governments must work together to improve renewable energy adoption.