Stakeholders in Nigeria’s renewable energy industry have called on the Federal Government to halt plans for an immediate ban on solar panel imports, advocating instead for a gradual transition supported by a detailed national renewable energy roadmap.
They maintained that a phased approach would protect energy access, promote domestic manufacturing and give the country enough time to develop the production capacity needed before imposing restrictions on imported solar panels.
The appeal was made on Wednesday at the Lagos Solar Forum, held as part of the Solar Power Nigeria campaign by the Secure Energy Project. Government representatives, private sector operators, civil society organisations, development partners and religious leaders attended the event to deliberate on Nigeria’s clean energy future.
Addressing participants at the forum, the Nigerian Campaign Director of the Secure Energy Project, Joseph Ibrahim, said the organisation was consulting with government and industry stakeholders on the proposed policy, stressing that Nigeria was not yet equipped to stop solar panel imports.
He explained that the campaign was created to identify policy challenges delaying Nigeria’s shift towards clean energy and assist stakeholders in resolving them through recommendations supported by evidence.
Ibrahim said the discussions would eventually produce a policy document outlining stakeholders’ recommendations, which would be presented to the Federal Government for consideration.
He disclosed that Nigeria currently has only two companies assembling solar panels with imported components, noting that the country does not yet possess the manufacturing capacity necessary to support a complete import prohibition.
He pointed out that demand for solar power has increased significantly since the removal of the petrol subsidy in 2023, while the planned gradual withdrawal of electricity subsidies is likely to drive greater dependence on renewable energy.
Ibrahim cautioned that restricting imports before adequate domestic manufacturing capacity is established could result in shortages, higher prices and reduced affordability of solar energy systems for millions of Nigerians.
He recommended a five- to 10-year transition period, similar to Nigeria’s backward integration strategy in the cement industry, which allowed imports to continue while the government encouraged domestic production and attracted investment.
Ibrahim stressed the need for a comprehensive national renewable energy roadmap containing clearly defined short-, medium- and long-term objectives, adding that local manufacturing should be sufficiently developed before any import prohibition takes effect.
He further advocated stronger partnerships between universities and research institutions to enhance local technology, improve production efficiency and develop Nigeria’s renewable energy value chain.
In his opening statement, Senior Director of the Secure Energy Project, Chris Kiff, said the forum was intended to promote cooperation among stakeholders rather than establish another independent programme.
He noted that governments, development organisations, private companies and civil society groups were already carrying out important renewable energy initiatives, but said many of these programmes were being implemented separately, reducing their overall effect.
Kiff explained that the forum was established to help stakeholders map existing initiatives, share knowledge and coordinate their activities through a common framework that could speed up Nigeria’s energy transition.
He urged participants to establish stronger partnerships, minimise duplication and pursue coordinated measures that would expand energy access while giving the sector a stronger collective voice in policy discussions.
The Executive Director of the Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP), Dr. David Michael Terungwa, identified energy poverty as one of Nigeria’s most serious development problems, saying unreliable electricity continues to weaken economic activity and keep millions of Nigerians in poverty.
He referenced a 2025 World Bank report which estimated that approximately 86.8 million Nigerians do not have access to electricity, representing the largest population without electricity access worldwide.
Terungwa said the removal of the petrol subsidy had increased the financial pressure on households and businesses dependent on petrol-powered generators, making solar energy a more attractive alternative.
He maintained that solar power could provide Nigeria with a significant opportunity to reduce its energy deficit by delivering electricity that is cleaner, more affordable and accessible.
However, Terungwa cautioned that the country was not sufficiently prepared for a complete ban on solar imports, given that almost all solar panels and related equipment currently used in Nigeria come from overseas.
He warned that introducing such restrictions at this stage could deepen energy poverty, slow the adoption of renewable energy and increase expenses for households and businesses.
Rather than imposing an immediate ban, he urged the government to provide incentives for local production, encourage domestic assembly, expand access to affordable financing for renewable energy systems and gradually develop manufacturing capacity before limiting imports.
He also called on state governments to take advantage of provisions under the Electricity Act 2023 by establishing state electricity markets and promoting decentralised renewable energy initiatives.
During a presentation on Nigeria’s energy investment environment, Daniel Awolaja, co-founder of the Africa Energy Tracker, said the country had secured approximately $100 billion in disclosed energy investments across 422 projects during the last decade, ranking it second in Africa behind South Africa.
Despite the substantial investment, Awolaja said Nigeria still faces major electricity shortages because spending on power generation has not been adequately supported by investments in transmission, distribution and energy storage systems.
He explained that while Nigeria has an installed electricity generation capacity of roughly 14 gigawatts, only about five gigawatts are regularly supplied through the national grid, leaving close to 90 million people without dependable electricity.
He noted that privately operated petrol and diesel generators currently generate several times more electricity than the national grid, highlighting the extent of Nigeria’s reliance on self-generation.
Awolaja disclosed that approximately 92 per cent of publicly disclosed energy investments made over the past decade went into oil and gas, while renewable energy and electricity grid infrastructure received significantly less funding.
Nevertheless, he said Nigeria has one of the continent’s more developed policy and regulatory structures for decentralised renewable energy, including mini-grid regulations and climate-related legislation, although implementation has failed to match the country’s policy objectives.
He called for a broader distribution of investments across the energy sector, better financing for transmission and distribution infrastructure and more effective enforcement of existing policies to deliver reliable and sustainable electricity access.
Delivering the keynote presentation, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Climate Technology, Olamide Fagbuji, described Nigeria’s transition to renewable energy as both an environmental requirement and a significant economic opportunity.
He said increasing renewable energy access could strengthen industrial competitiveness, generate employment, improve energy security and contribute to sustainable economic development.
Fagbuji described the Electricity Act 2023 as a major reform that decentralises power generation and distribution, gives states authority to establish electricity markets and opens additional opportunities for private sector investment.
He said Nigeria’s renewable energy strategy should cover more than electricity generation and include manufacturing, research, innovation, financing, battery storage, recycling and skills development.
He also called for greater policy consistency, innovative funding models and investment in artificial intelligence, smart-grid technology and technical education to drive sustainable growth across the sector.
Fagbuji encouraged the government, private sector, academic institutions, civil society organisations and development partners to strengthen cooperation aimed at expanding electricity access, supporting industrialisation and developing a resilient low-carbon economy.
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