The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to ending the importation of photovoltaic solar panels, which has so far cost the country over N200 billion, as part of a broader push to accelerate solar panel manufacturing in Nigeria.
This was disclosed by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, during a roundtable with the Lagos State Government held in Victoria Island on Monday. The event marked the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the REA and the Lagos government to expand electricity access in rural communities.
Aliyu emphasized the urgent need to domesticate renewable energy technology, particularly solar panels, which are critical to off-grid electrification. He noted that solar panel manufacturing in Nigeria will help reduce import dependence, create jobs, and support national energy security.
“Over N200bn has already been spent on the importation of photovoltaic panels,” Aliyu said. “One of our agency’s key goals is to localize the manufacturing of renewable energy equipment, and Lagos is poised to lead this movement.”
He revealed that an existing PV panel manufacturing plant in Ikotun, Lagos, initially built to produce 10 megawatts, has now expanded to 100 megawatts capacity through support from the REA.
Additionally, the agency is working on a joint development agreement with Green World to establish a $150 million lithium battery assembly plant in Lagos. This initiative complements ongoing efforts in solar panel manufacturing and positions Lagos as the hub of Nigeria’s renewable energy innovation.
The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Science and Technology, has also shown strong support for the initiative. Minister Uche Nnaji stated that Nigeria can produce solar panels locally via the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), which already operates a production facility.
“With NASENI, we have existing capacity. The Presidential Executive Order No. 5 supports local production and restricts imports to grow our industry,” Nnaji stated.
However, the Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN) has raised concerns. While they support local production, they caution that a premature ban on imports could slow the momentum of Nigeria’s renewable energy progress.
“Solar energy remains vital for millions of Nigerians. Without scaling up domestic capacity first, a full import ban could affect availability and innovation in the sector,” REAN said in a statement.
Despite the debate, one thing is clear: the push for solar panel manufacturing in Nigeria is gaining traction, with both public and private stakeholders aligning to reduce import costs, foster innovation, and build a sustainable energy future for all.
