Experts in Nigeria’s environment and energy sectors have warned that the country is not prepared for a blanket ban on solar panel imports, cautioning that such a move could deepen energy poverty and hinder the clean energy transition.
The concerns were raised on Tuesday during the National Stakeholders Engagement Workshop on Accelerating Nigeria’s Clean Energy Transition in Abuja.
Dr. Michael David, Executive Director of the Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP), described solar energy as “the beacon of hope” and a vital lifeline for escaping energy poverty.
He highlighted Nigeria’s paradox: abundant energy resources alongside widespread energy poverty, marked by severe electricity access deficits, chronic power shortages, persistent inequality, and unreliable, unaffordable grid supply.
“Energy poverty continues to undermine economic growth and human development,” David said. “It is correct to say that energy poverty traps communities in poverty.”
Solar, he argued, offers a realistic path to closing the energy gap with clean, affordable, and accessible power for millions underserved by the national grid.
“Banning solar imports now would be like removing lifelines in a crisis,” he warned. “Such a policy, if implemented now, would likely worsen energy poverty, slow renewable energy adoption, and hurt households and businesses.”
David called for a balanced clean energy policy that includes incentives for local solar production, promotion of assembly and manufacturing, affordable financing for clean energy systems, and a phased or delayed approach to any import restrictions—“let’s get some basic things right before a blanket ban.”
He noted Nigeria’s massive electricity access deficit—one of the world’s largest—despite being Africa’s largest economy. The national grid remains unreliable, with demand consistently exceeding supply.
Citing a 2026 World Data study, David pointed out that billions globally have access to far less daily electricity than needed to run an air conditioner for just one hour. In at least 45 countries, average residential use per person per day falls short of powering a typical 1,000-watt-hour single-room AC unit for an hour.
A World Bank 2025 report pegs the number of Nigerians without electricity access at 86.8 million—the highest worldwide.
David also referenced the Electricity Act 2023, which decentralizes generation, incentivizes renewables, and empowers states with greater regulatory authority over supply.
In his keynote address, Rep. Terseer Ugbor, Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Environment, described solar as a necessity amid nationwide power failures.
“I imagine a Nigeria where every home has electric power, where no child studies in the dark, where businesses thrive with constant supply without generators,” Ugbor said.
He positioned solar as central to economic diversification, job creation, climate commitments, rural transformation, and national development.
“Solar energy is a tool for survival and growth in our country,” he added. “An abrupt restriction on solar panel imports without sufficient local capacity will unintentionally affect rural and urban community businesses, institutions, and healthcare facilities.”
Mr. Joseph Ibrahim, Nigeria Campaign Director for the Secure Energy Project, criticized the proposed ban and urged making renewable energy affordable and accessible to all.
The workshop reflects growing debate over Nigeria’s push to boost local solar manufacturing—amid earlier government proposals in 2025 to curb imports—while experts stress the need for readiness, capacity building, and phased implementation to avoid setbacks in addressing the country’s acute energy challenges.
