Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology has said the country is committed to replicating similar solar panel assembly factories in all its geopolitical zones.
Nigeria is building a solar panel assembly plant in the town of Akpugo, located in the southeastern state of Enugu.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on July 27, attended by Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Geoffrey Nnaji. Nnaji wrote on social media that the factory will reduce dependence on imported energy solutions and create countless employment opportunities for the local community.
“Similar projects would be replicated nationwide at other Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) centers namely; Benin, Ilorin, Lagos, Bauchi and Sokoto to traverse the six geopolitical zones,” the minister added, without giving more details of the production facility.
Mustapha Abdullahi, director of Nigeria’s General Energy Commission, said after the ceremony that the need to increase access to electricity in Nigeria “cannot be overstated.”
“Despite the country’s vast resources and potential, Nigeria’s network remains inefficient and inaccessible to many parts of the country. This inadequacy is hampering the socio-economic development of the country and affecting the quality of life of millions of Nigerians,” Abdullahi said. “In addressing these challenges, photovoltaics emerges as a crucial solution. Solar energy provides a sustainable, reliable and decentralized energy source that can reach the most remote corners of our country and bring light and hope to all.”
According to a statement published by the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Abdullahi strongly believes that the solar panel assembly plant will significantly enhance the commission’s development capacity for domesticating solar PV technology in Nigeria.
According to figures from the International Renewable Energy Agency, Nigeria had deployed 112 MW of solar power at the end of last year, up from 102 MW at the end of last year.
Earlier this year, the Rural Electrification Agency of Nigeria and Husk Power Systems signed a Memorandum of Understanding to deploy up to 250 MW of decentralized renewable energy projects across the country.
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