The Rural Electrification Agency has disclosed plans to allow private investors to scale up solar panel production to 3.7-gigawatt production by next year.
Speaking during a visit by Zanzibar Utilities Regulatory Authority (ZURA) to its headquarters yesterday, the Managing Director of REA, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, said Nigeria is already exporting solar panels to Ghana and the agency I in talks with Chinese companies to set up factories in the country.
He added that the 200 megawatt factory operated by the LPV Technologies’ is reshaping Nigeria’s solar energy landscape and its goal is to esport PV solar to other countries in Africa.
‘We are about to inject 3.7 gigawatts of manufacturing capacity in Nigeria. Already many of Nigeria’s PV panels in Lagos have been exported to Ghana. We want to reduce the importation of PV panels from China.
‘We are asking Chinese companies to come to Nigeria and establish their factories. As you can see, these are all the factories that are to be established in the country. By the end of next year, we will have 3.7-gigawatt manufacturing capacity,’ he said.
He said the agency is increasing Nigerians access to electricity through funding and partnership from private investors and multilateral organisations.
On his part, World Bank’s Consultant at ZURA, Dr William Gboney, said Nigeria ranks the best in the area of off-grid and mini-grid regulation.
He said the Authority will guide on how to start mapping its area of coverage through Geographic Information System ‘because we need to know the link to your power system master plan or the integrated resource plan.’