NASENI, REA partner on local technology production

The Federal Government has intensified efforts to expand renewable energy deployment and strengthen local manufacturing capacity to drive industrial growth, energy security and economic transformation, the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, said.
   
Tegbe spoke during the commissioning of a 200-kilowatt solar photovoltaic (PV) power system project implemented under the Nigeria Energy Support Programme (NESP), which is funded by the European Union (EU) and the German Government at the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) laboratory complex at Ogba, Lagos.
   
This comes as the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen local production and deployment of renewable energy technologies under the federal government’s “Nigeria First Policy.”
   
The agreement, aimed at reducing dependence on imported energy equipment and expanding Nigeria’s off-grid electricity access, was formally signed at the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) headquarters in Abuja, facilitated by the BPP Director-General, Dr Adebowale Adedokun.
   
The minister, represented by the Director of Renewable and Rural Power Access, Owolabi Sunday, said the initiative marks a key step in Nigeria’s drive towards sustainable energy development, industrial competitiveness and economic transformation.
   
According to him, the government is implementing reforms to expand electricity access, improve grid reliability, attract private investment and accelerate renewable energy deployment.
   
Stressing the importance of stronger standards and quality assurance systems as renewable energy adoption increases, the minister noted that certification and testing facilities are critical to consumer confidence and investment protection.    
   
He further disclosed that the government was also prioritising local manufacturing within the renewable energy value chain through policies like performance standards, local content promotion and strategic partnerships.
   
For her part, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, said renewable energy remains central to the recently launched industrial policy, particularly in promoting cleaner production processes, energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.
   
She stated that strengthening the capacity of SON is critical to reinforcing the country’s industrial ecosystem, given its central role in standardisation and quality assurance.
   
Earlier, the Director-General of SON, Dr Ifeanyi Okeke, said the organisation’s partnership with NESP, which began in 2018 and focused on renewable energy and energy efficiency standards, has since expanded to laboratory infrastructure development, conformity assessment and capacity building.
   
He explained that the collaboration has enabled SON to develop minimum energy performance standards and energy-labelling requirements for key electrical appliances, forming the basis of its mandatory energy-labelling scheme, aimed at ensuring that only energy-efficient products enter the Nigerian market.

Meanwhile, the NASENI/REA partnership is expected to deepen collaboration between both agencies in the production, deployment and adoption of solar and other renewable energy solutions across the country, particularly in rural communities.
   
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Mr Khalil Suleiman Halilu, said the agency is working to bridge the gap between research, production and commercialisation of local innovations.
   
He said NASENI is positioning itself to scale up renewable energy manufacturing, including solar panels and street lighting systems, through its initiatives such as “DefFrontier”, in a bid to strengthen local capacity and reduce importation.
   
He added that the agency would also work to ensure that Nigeria’s renewable energy needs, particularly those of the REA, are met through locally produced solutions, to move away from the continuous importation of technologies and equipment to building domestic capacity for the production of renewable energy systems and components.
   
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of REA, Dr Abba Abubakar Aliyu, described the agreement as a strategic step towards building a sustainable renewable energy ecosystem driven by local manufacturing, adding that while NASENI would provide manufacturing and technological capacity, REA would focus on deployment and expansion of electricity access across rural Nigeria.
   
Furthermore, Adedokun said the agreement reflects the objectives of the “Nigeria First Policy”, which prioritises local content, transparency and value for public spending.