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Nigeria’s solar sector needs viable projects and reliable equipment to attract investors

By , based on Tribune Online

Nigeria’s solar sector needs viable projects and reliable equipment to attract investorsIllustrative image · Trinh Trần · Pexels · Licence Pexels

Nigerian solar sector specialists say financially viable projects, reliable equipment and local technical support are essential to sustain market growth. They warn that investor confidence could be lost and recall that Africa would need $28 billion to $46 billion to expand renewable electricity access to around 150 million people, according to speakers cited by Tribune Online.

Nigerian solar projects will have to demonstrate commercial viability, use reliable equipment and benefit from local technical support to attract long-term financing, industry representatives cited by Tribune Online said. They warned that inadequate project preparation and the use of substandard equipment could undermine investor confidence and slow the energy transition.

Nigeria has around 620 megawatts of operational solar capacity, making it the largest market in West Africa by installed capacity, according to figures presented by Benjamin Clark, director of operations at the Africa Solar Industry Association. Annual installations rose from around 15 megawatts in 2019 to 123 megawatts in 2024, before falling to nearly 79 megawatts in 2025. Around 89 megawatts became operational in 2026.

The experts spoke ahead of the Renewable Energy Forum Africa 2026, scheduled for 25 and 26 November in Lagos. The financing needed to expand access to electricity in Africa is estimated at between $28 billion and $46 billion to serve around 150 million people through mini-grids and other renewable solutions, according to data cited during preparations for the forum.

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