Cuba in the dark, China brings the sun

When I watched a documentary on Al Jazeera depicting the suffering of the citizens of Cuba who are presently grappling with a gruelling energy crisis, I could not help the gnawing sense of dread that crept into my heart. For someone who lives in a country where power failures are part of everyday reality, I would not ordinarily be moved by the Caribbean Island country’s predicament. But I was. Seeing mothers mourn the lack of power to light their homes and fuel to cook for their families nearly brought tears to my eyes.

We are a little better off than Cuba because Nigeria is not under any international sanctions that prevent the importation of fuel. Hence, when the grid collapses, and electricity disappears, and the familiar rhythms of life begin to unravel – hospitals, food preservation centres, businesses and families – Nigerians might find the petrol to generate power privately. Cubans cannot!

In September, the country suffered another major grid collapse that left millions without electricity. It was among at least six partial or total nationwide grid failures recorded since January 2026, according to reports.

But Cuba’s crisis did not begin yesterday. The island has traditionally depended heavily on fossil fuels for electricity generation, which becomes particularly damaging as the country struggles to secure sufficient fuel supplies amid its wider economic difficulties. The situation deteriorated further in 2026 following the tightening of United States pressure on oil supplies to Cuba. In January, US President Donald Trump announced a policy threatening tariffs against countries supplying oil to the island.

Yet, amid this darkness, China has been bringing the sun to Cuba. On September 24, reports confirmed the arrival of another shipment of 5,000 solar home systems donated by China. The equipment is intended to provide electricity to households and essential public facilities, particularly in rural and isolated communities. The shipment followed an earlier donation of 5,000 photovoltaic systems delivered in November 2025, bringing the latest phase of China’s solar assistance to a substantial scale.

To me, the significance of this intervention goes beyond the number of panels, batteries or other components delivered. It speaks to a broader question confronting humanity: when a nation is struggling with an energy emergency, should international cooperation merely provide temporary relief, or should it help build a pathway towards a more sustainable future?

The Cuban experience illustrates a broader weakness in fossil-fuel-dependent energy systems, while China’s gesture signals ambition for a greener shared future. A country that relies heavily on imported fuel is vulnerable not only to price fluctuations but also to geopolitical disputes, shipping disruptions and the changing calculations of foreign governments. This is what we are going through in Nigeria at the moment. Unfortunately, many commentators prefer the easy way:  blame the government and refuse to confront the elephant in the room.

It is instructive to note that China’s major strategy for absorbing the global fuel supply shock is by weaning itself off dirty fuel, with its citizens embracing electric vehicles.

Energy security, therefore, is not simply about generating sufficient electricity. It is also about determining how much of that electricity a country can produce from resources available within its own territory, especially the renewable sources. For Cuba, sunshine is one such resource.

China’s decision to donate solar equipment to Cuba is significant because it addresses an immediate social need while supporting a longer-term transition towards renewable energy. The household systems are particularly important because their value is not measured exclusively by the amount of electricity they generate. Their real significance lies in the services they can sustain.

Consider, for instance, what this could mean for a rural health centre. A dependable solar installation can help sustain lighting, communications, refrigeration where the system is appropriately designed, and other essential electrical functions during periods when the national grid is unavailable. For a remote household, solar power can provide electricity for lighting, fans, mobile-phone charging and other basic needs.

A solar installation will not automatically guarantee uninterrupted electricity. Its performance depends on its capacity, battery storage, maintenance, the appliances connected to it and the amount of sunlight available. Nevertheless, appropriately designed systems can give essential facilities and households a measure of independence from an unreliable central grid.

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Furthermore, China’s assistance to Cuba also brings the concept of South-South cooperation into sharper focus. For decades, developing countries have discussed the need to reduce their dependence on traditional centres of economic and technological power. The argument is that nations facing similar development challenges should be able to share knowledge, resources, technologies and practical solutions without their relationships being defined exclusively by the established donor-recipient model.

South-South cooperation is not a claim that every participating country has identical interests or that such partnerships are automatically free of unequal power relations. China is a major global economic power, with technological capabilities and industrial resources that many developing countries do not possess.

The important question is how that capacity is used and what benefits it delivers to partner countries. In Cuba’s case, the provision of solar equipment illustrates one practical form of cooperation: a country with substantial renewable-energy manufacturing capacity assisting another country whose energy system is under severe pressure. The relationship is particularly relevant because the technology being supplied can help reduce exposure to some of the vulnerabilities that made the crisis so difficult in the first place.

Instead of simply delivering fuel to keep conventional generators running, solar equipment creates the possibility of producing electricity from an abundant local resource.

Fuel assistance can be essential during an emergency, but it must be repeated as supplies are consumed. Properly installed solar equipment can generate electricity for years, although it requires maintenance and may eventually need replacement components or batteries.

This suggests that international solidarity can be designed not only to relieve immediate suffering but also to strengthen the recipient country’s capacity to manage future shocks.

For African countries, the lesson is worth considering. Nigeria, for instance, possesses enormous solar potential but continues to struggle with unreliable electricity supply and unequal access to dependable power. Rural communities, primary healthcare centres, schools and small businesses could benefit from appropriately financed and maintained decentralized renewable-energy systems.

The question for African policymakers is whether international partnerships can be structured to provide not just equipment but also local technical capacity, maintenance arrangements, affordable financing and opportunities for domestic manufacturing.

Ultimately, the other dimension that deserves attention is the climate implications of Cuba’s transition towards solar power. Electricity generated from sunlight does not require the combustion of fossil fuels during operation. Once installed, a solar photovoltaic system can therefore reduce emissions when it displaces electricity that would otherwise have been generated from oil, diesel or other fossil fuels. This is particularly relevant for a country whose electricity system depends heavily on conventional thermal generation.

Every unit of solar electricity that genuinely replaces fossil-fuel generation can reduce the amount of fuel burned and the associated carbon dioxide emissions. Depending on the generating equipment displaced, it may also reduce other forms of air pollution. The resulting benefits could extend beyond emissions reductions. Less dependence on imported fuel can improve energy security, while decentralised systems can help maintain essential services during disruptions to the national grid.

However, it would be premature to claim that the latest donation alone will drastically reduce Cuba’s national carbon footprint. That outcome depends on how many systems are installed and operational, how much electricity they generate, which fossil-fuel sources they displace, and how the wider energy system evolves. The climate benefits will be greatest when solar power becomes a substantial and reliable component of the country’s electricity supply rather than an emergency supplement. And these are practical green options that stare Cuba in the face.