Nigeria has increased its domestic solar panel manufacturing capacity to 300 megawatts (MW), up from 120MW recorded two years ago, as it positions itself as a renewable energy hub in West Africa.
The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, disclosed this during a webinar organised by the African Association of Energy Journalists and Publishers in Lagos.
Aliyu said the country also has about 3.7 gigawatts (GW) of solar projects in the pipeline, reflecting growing momentum in the renewable energy sector driven by policy reforms and increased private sector participation.
He attributed the growth to deliberate government policies under President Bola Tinubu aimed at creating an enabling environment for investment.
“We have moved from about 120 megawatts of local manufacturing capacity to roughly 300 megawatts today, with 3.7GW in the pipeline. This is based on a deliberate strategy to build investor confidence and attract private capital into the sector,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria attracted about $425 million in renewable energy investments in 2025, leading to the establishment of eight manufacturing facilities.
Aliyu added that locally manufactured solar panels are already being exported from Lagos to Accra, Ghana, signalling Nigeria’s emergence as a regional production hub.
He said several African countries, including Mozambique, Benin, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania, are engaging Nigeria to replicate its electricity access model.
On regulation, the REA boss noted that the 2026 Mini-Grid Regulations introduced by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission have increased allowable capacity for interconnected mini-grids to 10MW, from previous limits of 1MW and 5MW for isolated systems.
The reforms, he said, have simplified licensing processes, clarified grid interactions and strengthened investor confidence, enabling larger-scale renewable energy projects.
Aliyu said the expansion of mini-grid capacity could also support cross-border electricity trade, particularly in border communities, while complementing regional grid integration efforts under the West African Power Pool.
He called for the development of an integrated off-grid electricity market across Africa to accelerate energy access.
Highlighting ongoing programmes, Aliyu described the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up (DARES) initiative as the largest publicly funded renewable energy access programme globally.
The programme targets electricity access for 17.5 million Nigerians through more than 2.5 million household connections and deployment of 1,350 mini-grids, including 250 interconnected systems.
Backed by $750 million in funding, the initiative is expected to catalyse an additional $1.1 billion in private sector investment, with financing support from institutions such as Citibank Nigeria, Lotus Bank and the International Finance Corporation.
Aliyu said the structure of the programme, which requires developers to mobilise capital before accessing incentives, is already attracting strong interest from financial institutions and development partners.
