Advances in Research

Reliable access to electricity remains a major challenge for many secondary schools in Nigeria, particularly in rural communities where inadequate lighting limits learning activities after daylight hours. Solar street lighting provides a potential off-grid intervention for reducing this form of light poverty and improving the usability of school environments. This study investigated the use of solar street lighting as a transformative infrastructure intervention to mitigate "light poverty" and enhance students’ academic performance in secondary schools across Imo State, Nigeria. A total of 1,080 four-point Likert-scale questionnaires were administered across the 27 Local Government Areas in the state to evaluate the operational status of existing solar lighting and its correlation with learning outcomes. Cronbach’s alpha was used to test the internal consistency of the component items of each latent variable used to evaluate perceived impacts, such as increased study time, improved focus, and enhanced grades, while the collective perception metrics were statistically validated using single-factor ANOVA. The results revealed that the presence of functional solar street lights varied significantly across schools (p < 0.05), creating distinct environmental conditions that facilitate evening preparatory classes and extracurricular engagement. The findings established a statistically significant relationship between dependable illumination and improved student behaviour, specifically through increased study hours and enhanced focus, thereby bridging the gap created by daylight constraints and erratic grid power. The results indicate that functional solar street lighting mitigates light poverty by providing dependable illumination across school campuses. This transforms unlit facilities into vibrant study environments suitable for evening classes. Consequently, extended usable hours foster increased study time and improved focus, directly enhancing students’ overall academic performance. Ultimately, the transition to solar-powered campuses represents a sustainable pathway for bolstering the competitive standing of secondary school students in both rural and urban areas of Imo State.