A group, Vectar Energy Nigeria Limited has expressed dismay over persistent barriers to scaling distributed solar solutions and energy access and affordability, attributing them to the high cost and complexity of carbon credit verification in Nigeria.

The Founder, Deborah Fadeyi stated this at the Stakeholders Consultative Forum in Abuja, explaining that Nigeria’s distributed solar sector was at an inflection point and the barriers are holding it back and not technology or demand, but access to credible, scalable climate finance.

According to Fadeyi, Africa faces an estimated $12.5 billion electricity access financing gap annually, adding, we are proposing “ecoWise Distributed Solar Programme” in seeking to address this directly, enabling distributed solar projects across Nigeria to generate high integrity carbon credits.

She further explained that the local. stakeholders consultation will enable them to get the feedback on the programme design, environmental and social safeguards, and the monitoring and verification framework used to generate carbon credits in the country.

Also speaking, Carbon Lead Consultant, Michael Ozulu noted that “ecoWise” is a digital MRV platform to collect and verify solar generation data, and they will work with mini-grid and commercial solar operators and asset owners in all sectors.

He regretted that earth is becoming hotter than before because of burning petrol, kerosene and diesel to release harmful gases, causing flooding, extreme heat wave, and unpredictable and global warming, which various governments are trying to contend with them generally.

“Many people still don’t have access to electricity supply , and are now burning fossil fuels.In Nigeria,we have estimate of 22 million diesel and petrol generators running daily,yet, solar generates electricity from sunlight, which has no burning,no harmful gases released,”he added.

Giving the review, the Programme Director,Rinret Best emphasized that carbon crediting apparatus will be aggregating distributed solar projects across the length and breadth of Nigeria into a single verified framework under their Gold Standard to cover states, according to their needs.

Carbon Programme Delivery Lead,Dr. Kashema Bahago argued that Solar revolution has come to stay as electricity supply to Nigerian households and industrial development have been slowed down greatly in many parts of the country.