Nigeria declares war on substandard solar

From the newsletter

Africa’s renewable energy sector struggles with imported substandard and second-hand solar equipment, undermining reliability and investor confidence. To address this, Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and Huawei have established a Mini-Grid Standardisation and Simulation Centre to ensure quality and durability.

• This facility is pivotal as Nigeria embarks on local manufacturing. By setting stringent quality standards, the centre will protect local manufacturers from unfair competition posed by imported substandard products, thereby catalysing industrialisation and private sector investment.

• While Nigeria leads with this advanced simulation centre, other African countries like Kenya and South Africa are focusing on regulatory frameworks and quality assurance to support mini-grid deployment.

More details

• The REA received 18 pieces of world-class equipment from Huawei, valued at $15,000, free of charge, following the MoU signed in September 2024 during President Tinubu’s China visit. The specialised instruments include power, electronic, and battery analysers, along with pyranometers, which are largely firsts for Nigeria's renewable energy sector.

• As of 2025, studies estimate that up to 30% of solar equipment imported into Africa is either substandard or second-hand, with countries like Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, and Ghana among the most affected. For example, mini-grid projects in Nigeria’s northern regions have experienced operational disruptions due to faulty photovoltaic panels and degraded batteries, causing setbacks in rural electrification targets.

• Quality assurance is critical in renewables to guarantee system reliability, safety, and performance. Without rigorous testing and certification, substandard components flood the market, eroding consumer trust and deterring investment. Establishing clear standards and enforcing compliance ensures that mini-grid systems deliver consistent power, reduce downtime, and improve return on investment for developers and end-users alike.

• The proliferation of substandard imports undermines local manufacturers and assemblers, who struggle to compete on price and quality perception. By enforcing quality standards through the simulation centre, Nigeria can level the playing field, encouraging private sector investment in local manufacturing and assembly of photovoltaic panels and batteries. 

• Huawei’s partnership is crucial for technology transfer and capacity building. Providing cutting-edge testing equipment and technical expertise accelerates the development of Nigeria’s renewable energy infrastructure. Huawei’s global experience in distributed energy systems enhances the centre’s ability to simulate diverse environmental conditions, ensuring that products meet international standards. 

• Beyond quality assurance, the simulation centre will serve as a national training hub, upskilling engineers, technicians, and young professionals in renewable energy technologies. This capacity building supports job creation and nurtures a skilled workforce necessary for Nigeria’s industrialisation goals. Furthermore, the centre will foster innovation by enabling research and development on mini-grid systems tailored to Nigeria’s diverse climatic and geographic condition

Our take

• Quality assurance must be front and centre if Africa is serious about closing its energy gap, and Nigeria is leading the charge with real action, not just talk.

• The next logical move is to embed these new standards into national laws and make sure everyone from importers to installers plays by the rules.

• Nigeria is delivering from ramping up local manufacturing to boosting off-grid solar and now launching this cutting-edge testing centre. This strategy could become the blueprint for Africa’s energy future.