Nigeria has begun exporting locally manufactured solar panels to Ghana, signaling a new phase in the country’s renewable energy manufacturing drive, the Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Aliyu, has said.
Aliyu made the disclosure during a webinar hosted by the African Association of Energy Journalists and Publishers, noting that Nigeria is no longer only deploying renewable energy systems but now producing key components for regional markets.
According to him, domestic solar panel manufacturing capacity has risen sharply from about 120 megawatts two years ago to roughly 300 megawatts in 2026. He added that an additional 3.7 gigawatts of production projects are in various stages of development, positioning Nigeria as a potential hub for renewable energy equipment in West Africa.
He attributed the expansion to targeted government policies designed to attract private investors and strengthen local manufacturing. In 2025 alone, about $425 million was invested in setting up eight renewable energy production facilities across the country.
Aliyu said recent regulatory changes by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission have further strengthened investor confidence. The 2026 mini-grid rules increased the allowable capacity for interconnected mini-grids to 10 megawatts, up from previous limits of 1MW and 5MW, enabling larger renewable energy projects to be developed in underserved communities.
He explained that the updated regulations clarify how mini-grids can interact with the national grid, simplify licensing procedures, and ease environmental and social compliance requirements, making project development faster and more attractive to investors.
The REA boss also highlighted the opportunity for cross-border electricity trade, especially in communities located along Nigeria’s borders. He said large solar installations in such areas could supply power to neighbouring countries, promoting regional integration beyond traditional grid connections.
Aliyu called for the development of an integrated off-grid electricity market across West Africa to complement efforts by the West African Power Pool in connecting national grids within the sub-region.
He revealed that several African countries, including Mozambique, Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Mauritania, and Mauritius, are studying Nigeria’s electricity access framework as a model for their own renewable energy expansion plans.
Aliyu also pointed to the country’s Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up (DARES) programme as a major driver of progress. The initiative aims to connect 17.5 million Nigerians to electricity by powering over 2.5 million homes and deploying 1,350 mini-grids, including 250 systems linked to the main grid.
The $750 million programme is structured around a results-based financing model, where private developers are required to invest their own funds before accessing incentives. This structure, he said, is expected to unlock an additional $1.1 billion in private investment.
He added that financial institutions such as Citibank Nigeria, Lotus Bank, and the International Finance Corporation are already partnering with developers under the programme, alongside several development finance and impact investment organisations.
Aliyu said the model is drawing attention across Africa as a template for accelerating renewable energy deployment while reducing reliance on public funding.
