The Federal Government has maintained the need to end the importation of photovoltaic solar panels into Nigeria, saying this has cost N200bn so far.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency, Abba Aliyu, stated this Monday at a roundtable held in Victoria Island between the REA and the Lagos State Government.

The REA and Lagos State Government were in Lagos to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for the electrification of rural communities in Lagos.

According to Aliyu, efforts are ongoing to change the narrative and domesticate the manufacturing of renewable equipment in the country.

He said he believed that Lagos, being the centre of excellence, is going to lead that domestication drive.

“Over N200bn has been spent on the importation of PV panels into the country.

“While there is a need for that importation, one of the key things our agency is striving for is domesticating the manufacturing of this renewable equipment. Lagos, being the centre of excellence, is going to lead a total war in that domestication,” he said.

To this end, he said the agency has already crystallised the emergence of PV panel manufacturing plants in Lagos.

“There was a PV panel manufacturing assembly plant in Ikotun, Lagos.

“They started with 10 megawatts, but with the collaboration with REA, they have moved and increased their capacity to an additional 100 megawatts,” he said.

The REA boss also hinted that the agency is in the process of signing a joint development agreement with Green World for a lithium battery assembly plant in Lagos.

According to him, this is a $150m investment taking place in Lagos.

Recently, the Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, said the Federal Government is willing to support local manufacturing of solar panels while restricting imports.

Nnaji highlighted Nigeria’s capacity to produce solar panels through the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure.

“With NASENI here, you know that we have panels. It has a factory that has started producing solar panels, and other private individuals are also producing solar panels as we speak. So, all we need to do is, even through science and technology, through our Presidential Executive Order No. 5, we will stop all these importations of solar panels. We will support our local industries to grow,” he said. (The PUNCH)