The Federal Government has unveiled an ambitious plan to establish nearly four gigawatts (GW) of solar panel manufacturing capacity annually, as part of a broader strategy to localise the clean energy value chain and tackle Nigeria’s long-standing power deficit.
Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, made the announcement on Tuesday during the Nigerian Renewable Energy Innovation Forum (NREIF) 2025 in Abuja. He said the initiative reflects a strategic shift by the Tinubu administration — from merely expanding energy access to actively industrialising the energy sector.
“Today’s forum is particularly significant because it highlights the role of innovation and domestic capability in achieving our renewable energy and energy transition goals,” Adelabu stated.
He added that the nearly 4GW solar manufacturing target will be realised through strategic partnerships formalised at the forum, and aligns with the “Nigeria First Policy” — a federal initiative aimed at promoting local content, innovation, and self-sufficiency in renewable energy technologies.
Driving Local Value Creation
According to the minister, the move toward domestic manufacturing is being supported by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), which is expanding energy access in underserved communities through mini-grids and Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) projects.
“Together, the ministry and the REA are shifting the national narrative — from energy access to energy industrialisation, and from deployment to local value creation,” he said.
The NREIF, jointly convened by the Ministry of Power and REA, serves as Nigeria’s premier platform for engaging stakeholders in renewable energy policy, innovation, local manufacturing, and private sector financing.
This year’s edition brought together top government officials, development partners, investors, and local manufacturers, all committed to positioning Nigeria as a continental leader in the global clean energy transition.
‘Nigeria First’ as a Turning Point
Themed “Implementing the Nigeria First Policy: Facilitating Local Content Development and Manufacturing in the Renewable Energy Ecosystem,” NREIF 2025 was described by Adelabu as a turning point for Nigeria’s energy future.
“This is more than a conference. It’s a declaration that Nigeria is ready to lead Africa’s renewable energy transformation,” he said.
He emphasised that solar panels, batteries, and other clean energy components should increasingly be “proudly made in Nigeria”, aligning with the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which champions local innovation and industrial competence.
Policy Reforms and Sector Liberalisation
Adelabu also highlighted recent legislative and policy milestones that support the renewable energy agenda:
- The Electricity Act 2023, which decentralised Nigeria’s power sector, granting 15 states regulatory autonomy. One state has already fully operationalised its own power market.
“We have broken the jinx of over-centralisation that crippled the sector for 60 years. With our large population, centralisation can never work. What we have now is liberalisation and competition,” the minister said.
- The approval of the Integrated National Electricity Policy (INEP) by the Federal Executive Council in February 2025, which he described as the first holistic policy framework in nearly two decades, unifying various reforms into a strategic roadmap for sector-wide transformation.
