Oluwafunbi Bello 
A solar mini-grid system.
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria expands its solar panel manufacturing capacity to 300 megawatts, positioning itself as a potential renewable energy leader in West Africa, officials say.
The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Aliyu, says the capacity has more than doubled from 120MW in two years.
“We have moved to roughly 300 megawatts today,” Aliyu says.
He credits policy reforms and increases private investment for the growth, noting that 3.7 gigawatts of projects are already in the pipeline.
Locally produced solar panels are now being exported to Ghana, marking a milestone for Nigeria’s clean energy ambitions.
“Nigeria is already exporting solar panels. This shows our direction,” he adds.
Aliyu says Nigeria attracted $425 million in renewable energy investments in 2025, leading to the establishment of eight manufacturing plants.
New regulations now allow mini-grid capacity expansion up to 10MW, enabling larger renewable energy projects and cross-border electricity trade.
He highlights the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up programme, targeting electricity for 17.5 million Nigerians.
The initiative, backed by $750 million in funding, is expected to unlock over $1.1 billion in private investment.
Officials say continued reforms and regional cooperation will be key to sustaining growth and improving energy access.
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Chukwu Obinna 
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