How to turn on the instrumentaton lights?

Maybe, but I don’t remember seeing it.

The only placard I remember seeing was to caution the pilot that both cockpit canopy latches have to be locked.

Bummer!

What happens in the case where something untoward happens and you get stuck out after nightfall?

I remember a case I saw on YouTube where a poor fellow was flying as a passenger in a Cessna, (172, I think), and the pilot died at the controls, so he ended up not being able to land until after nightfall and had a totally dark cockpit.  By The Grace of God, he got down in one piece and the number of pieces of the plane after landing was mercifully few.