The Federal Government has entered into a major partnership with global solar energy company Sun King to advance local manufacturing in Nigeria’s renewable energy sector — a move expected to save the country around $150 million in solar equipment imports over the next five years.
The agreement, signed by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and Sun King during the Nigeria Renewable Energy Innovation Forum in Abuja, aims to strengthen Nigeria’s clean energy industry through local production, data collaboration, and policy advocacy. The event was attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima and Sun King’s Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Walsh.
According to the REA, the deal marks a significant step toward achieving Nigeria’s “energy independence” goals under the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda. The partnership will see both parties work together to assemble and produce solar panels, home systems, and energy-efficient appliances within the country.
Sun King projects that with the right policy support, the initiative could replace up to $150 million worth of solar imports and create thousands of direct and indirect jobs in manufacturing, logistics, and maintenance.
Vice President Shettima described the partnership as a model for Nigeria’s industrial transformation, emphasizing that private sector participation is key to achieving the nation’s clean energy transition.
“To unlock the full potential of our energy transition, we must remove regulatory hurdles and attract serious private investment,” he said. “Our administration is focused on making local production more attractive through incentives and collaboration.”
REA Managing Director Abba Abubakar Aliyu noted that the partnership integrates energy access, industrial development, and policy alignment in a single strategy to accelerate Nigeria’s renewable energy growth.
Beyond manufacturing, the collaboration will promote data sharing and joint research between REA and Sun King to improve national electrification programmes like the Nigeria Electrification Project and the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up Initiative. These insights will also support Mission 300, a global goal to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.
The agreement’s third focus area involves raising public awareness about solar energy as a key solution for Nigeria’s power deficit. Both parties plan to advocate for supportive financing policies and highlight the success of solar-powered systems in rural and peri-urban communities.
Sun King, which currently distributes more than 330,000 solar kits across Africa each month, has seen rapid expansion in Nigeria — from just 3,000 monthly units in 2020 to about 75,000 today. The company’s operations have already created over 12,000 jobs nationwide, and the new deal is expected to increase that number significantly through local assembly and supply chain development.
Sun King’s CEO, Patrick Walsh, said the partnership blends two critical objectives — Nigeria’s industrialisation and Africa’s broader clean energy mission. “This is about making solar energy affordable while building local capacity and creating long-term economic value,” he said.
Experts say the initiative could serve as a model for other African countries seeking to combine renewable energy expansion with industrial growth. With an estimated 85 million Nigerians still lacking access to electricity, the move signals a strong commitment to reducing import dependence and expanding clean energy access nationwide.
