The federal government has announced plans to scale up domestic production of solar panels and components, signaling a strategic shift toward building local industrial capacity before considering any restrictions on foreign imports.
Addressing stakeholders on the government’s renewable energy strategy, Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, emphasized that prohibiting panel imports without operational local manufacturing facilities would severely disrupt the energy market.
The policy shift addresses critical structural challenges in Nigeria’s power sector, where the national grid delivers between 4,000 and 5,000 megawatts for a population of over 200 million.
He noted that import restrictions can only be effective once Nigeria achieves sufficient domestic production capabilities. He announced the government has initiated engagements with foreign industrial partners to build local manufacturing capacity
Udeh explained that alongside industrial partnerships, federal authorities are deploying strict regulatory mechanisms to prevent substandard solar components from entering the market, ensuring that both locally produced and imported hardware meet defined quality standards.
On the demand side, Udeh said the government is leveraging public-sector procurement to stimulate the market. “Through the Energy Commission of Nigeria, the Renewed Hope Solarisation Project is currently transitioning federal institutions, including universities and administrative hubs, off the national grid onto solar-powered off-grid systems.”
Commending the government’s policy direction, Michael David, Founder and Executive Director of Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP), noted that establishing factory capacity and setting quality standards beforehand ensures solar products remain accessible while giving local manufacturers room to scale up sustainably.
He stressed that to maintain momentum, the government must publish a clear, time-bound roadmap for import substitution, expand concessionary financing for local manufacturers, enforce strict quality checks at ports through the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, and scale up technical training institutions across all geopolitical zones.
He also called for extension of the solarization project beyond federal establishments to primary health centers, public schools, and rural communities.
“We commend the Honourable Minister for listening to stakeholders and choosing a path that puts Nigerians first. Building manufacturing capacity before closing the door to imports is the right sequence.
“It keeps solar affordable for the millions who depend on it, while giving local industry the time and support it needs to grow. The focus on quality standards and on training artisans through the Barefoot Renewable Energy College tackles the real problems in the sector: substandard products and poor installation. This is what a just and inclusive energy transition looks like,” David said.