Uche Cecil Izuora
Key Agencies driving Nigeria’s renewable energy industry is seeking to take a firm grip on standardization process as projects in solar driven electricity generation heightens.
This is coming as the Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN), reaffirms its commitment to advancing standardization, quality assurance, and regulatory collaboration within Nigeria’s renewable energy sector following a high-level stakeholder engagement meeting with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
On his part the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) Abba Aliyu, said that more than 85 million Nigerians, representing nearly 40 per cent of the country’s population, remain without dependable access to grid electricity.
To close the gap Aliyu, says expanding local manufacturing of renewable energy equipment is critical to addressing the challenge.
According to Aliyu, although government intervention programmes, including the Rural Electrification Fund, the Nigerian Electrification Project and the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up Project, have expanded electricity access to millions of underserved Nigerians, the country’s energy deficit remains substantial.
The REA, is actively driving solar energy standardization by rolling out harmonized technical standards for off-grid installations.
This initiative ensures safety, longevity, and quality assurance in mini-grid and solar home system deployments, particularly as the agency scales local manufacturing to combat substandard equipment.
The push for strict solar energy standardization is a vital step for Nigeria’s clean energy sector. Key focus areas driven by the REA and partnered organizations like the SON, include:Harmonized Design Specifications.
The REA has published minimum design and technical specifications for solar mini-grids, inverters, and storage systems to maintain grid consistency and safety. Quality Enhanced testing frameworks and state-of-the-art laboratory infrastructure help evaluate and restrict the influx of substandard PV panels and lithium batteries.
With a target of achieving 3.7 gigawatts of local production capacity, the REA is ensuring that equipment assembled within the country such as facilities in Lagos and across other states adheres to strict, regulated quality benchmarks.
By standardizing equipment and installation practices, the sector aims to reduce system failures, protect investments, and provide reliable power to underserved communities.
The strategic engagement between REAN and the SON focuses on strengthening cooperation between both organizations in critical areas including testing and certification, capacity building, policy development, regulatory alignment, and the enforcement of standards across the renewable energy value chain.
During the meeting, REAN emphasized the importance of standardization in ensuringthe growth, sustainability, and credibility of Nigeria’s renewable energy sector.
The association highlighted its ongoing efforts toward promoting compliance with
industry standards and supporting initiatives aimed at reducing the circulation of substandard renewable energy products within the Nigerian market.
As part of the discussions, REAN outlined key concerns affecting renewable energy standardization and market development, including gaps identified within existing standards, weak enforcement mechanisms, affordability challenges associated with standards, and the growing influx of substandard renewable energy products into the market.
The Association also highlighted the importance of establishing testing laboratories
and certification facilities that would help reduce delays in product testing and approval processes for renewable energy projects across the country.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for REAN to advocate for stronger inter- agency collaboration among key government institutions, including Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and the Rural Electrification Agency, particularly in addressing the challenge of outdated standards and substandard renewable energy products.
The SON acknowledged the important role REAN continues to play in supporting standardization within Nigeria’s renewable energy industry and reaffirmed its willingness to deepen collaboration with the association.
The SON further confirmed that REAN will be actively involved in future standard reviewprocesses and upcoming stakeholder engagements related to renewable energy andelectric mobility standards development.
REAN also expressed its readiness to support SON by sharing relevant standards related materials and technical inputs that can contribute to the development of harmonized national renewable energy standards.
The REAN reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening collaboration with SON and disclosed its willingness to formalize the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at deepening cooperation, promoting quality assurance, and accelerating Nigeria’s transition toward reliable and standardized renewable energy solutions.
Both organizations expressed optimism that sustained collaboration and stronger
stakeholder engagement will significantly improve standardization, encourage
compliance, and support the long-term growth of Nigeria’s renewable energy sector.