Nigeria Announces Solar Panel Import Ban, Sparks Criticism Amid Growing Renewable Energy Investments

The Nigerian government has announced its intention to stop the import of solar panels in order to promote local manufacturing and stimulate the country’s transition to renewable energies.

The decision, announced by the Minister of Innovation, Sciences and Technology, Uche Nnaji, aligned with a presidential directive aimed at prioritizing local content in science, engineering and technology.

Explaining when launching electric buses NEV T6 in Abuja, Nnaji stressed the Nigeria’s ability to produce solar panels at the national level, declaring that the National Agency for Scientific and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) had already started local production. It provided that, as national manufacturing increases, more households and Nigerian institutions would pass to solutions of solar energy out of network, reducing dependence on the national network.

“We have lithium in abundance here in Nigeria, so the President already acts. We add value to our raw materials. The lithium we have here will be treated and used as batteries for these vehicles,” said Nnaji, highlighting the wider ambitions in the government’s own energy.

Beyond the production of solar panels, NNAJI noted that the government is developing mini-grid solutions to provide stable electricity to critical sectors, including hospitals, schools and businesses. He said budget allowances have already been made for mini-networks, with a visible implementation expected in a few months.

“In less than three or four months, you will start to see our hospitals and our institutions powered by solar energy,” he said.

Doubt about Naseni’s ability to meet local demand

However, the decision to prohibit imports of solar panels has aroused criticism, many experts questioning Naseni’s ability to meet the demand that an import restriction would create. The industry stakeholders argue that the current production of the production of Naseni is well below what is necessary to support the increasing renewable energy market in Nigeria. Concerns have also been raised concerning the affordability and quality of the product panels locally compared to imported alternatives.

The decision to stop imports comes at a time when Nigeria is witnessing an increase in the adoption of solar energy electricity. The country recently signed an agreement for the supply in solar module of 2,600 megawatts (MW) with Longi Solar France SARL. The modules will be used to feed the Nigeria Green Hyb Hub Nigeria project in the free trade area Oil & Gas Liberty in the state of Akwa Ibom.

According to Nnaji, which facilitated the agreement, the project represents one of the largest solar supply agreements in sub -Saharan Africa and should transform Nigeria into a regional center for clean energy production. The country aims to stimulate industrial growth, to extend hydrogen exports and to promote clean mobility solutions by taking advantage of its abundant solar resources.

The project should create more than 20,000 direct jobs throughout engineering, logistics, research and development and maintenance. It will also support the production of green hydrogen on an industrial scale, which could feed local industries, energy exports and allow cleaner transport, especially in the sectors of marine and heavy transport.

The longi agreement marks a major step in the ambitions of the renewable energies of Nigeria. The company, recognized as a world leader in solar technology, holds the world record for photovoltaic solar efficiency (PV), with its cells in tandem in silicon-pervskite reaching a conversion rate of 34.6%.

Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, Managing Director and CEO of the Nigeria Energy Commission (ECN), stressed that the deployment of longi -efficiency modules in the Nigeria climate would give more energy per square meter and provide faster yields on investment.

“This is the precision technology that meets the African gross potential – the synergy is transformer,” said Abdullahi.

Government pressure for solar energy has been obvious in recent years, with several other solar agreements obtained to combat the country’s erratic food. Nigeria has increased investments in out-of-network and mini-network solutions to fill the electricity gap, in particular in rural areas where access to energy remains limited.

However, concerns persist as to whether local manufacturing can increase quickly enough to meet the demands of a rapidly growing renewable energy sector. Industry experts warn that a sudden ban on imported solar panels could disrupt supply chains, increase costs and slow the transition from Nigeria to clean energy.

Although the government remains determined to promote local production, analysts note that the success of the initiative will depend on the capacity of Nigerian manufacturers to correspond to the quality, affordability and efficiency of imported solar technology.