Nigeria has taken a major step in building a homegrown clean-energy industry, as new figures show a decline in imported fully assembled solar panels and a surge in locally assembled units.

The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) reported that in October 2025, Nigeria imported 110 megawatts of solar cells for local assembly, surpassing the 82MW of finished panels brought in during the same period. This marks the first time in the country’s history that parts for domestic assembly have overtaken finished imports.

REA Managing Director Abba Aliyu described the development as a turning point for Nigeria’s renewable-energy sector. He noted that local assembly keeps a larger portion of the value chain inside the country, through fabrication, component production, testing, logistics, and skilled labour.

The milestone follows the Nigeria Renewable Energy Innovation Forum in October, which promoted the ‘Nigeria First Policy’ to boost local manufacturing. From January to November 2025, the country imported more solar cells for domestic assembly than in all previous years combined, signalling strong market growth.

Aliyu credited the shift to government reforms and power-sector interventions, including policies under President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the NREIF’s facilitation of nearly $500 million in investment deals. He highlighted that progress is already visible, with Nigeria recently exporting solar panels to Ghana.

“This is more than a trade statistic; it’s a structural shift toward building Nigeria’s clean-energy future,” Aliyu said.