Experts in the renewable energy sector have revealed that 60 percent of solar products in Nigeria fail to meet quality standards, posing a significant threat to the country’s transition to clean energy.
A solar energy specialist, Engr. Chinedu Okwaraoka, stated that over 60 percent of solar products imported into Nigeria do not meet international quality standards due to poor regulation and enforcement gaps.
Speaking on Thursday at a webinar titled: Understanding Solar Panel Efficiency and Battery Storage: What Every Consumer Should Know, organized by the Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation, CADEF, industry leaders highlighted critical policy gaps in Nigeria’s renewable energy sector.
Okwaraoka warned: “Without strong oversight, low-quality products will continue to flood the market, making consumers skeptical about investing in solar energy. This will ultimately hinder Nigeria’s clean energy goals.”
The experts called for the urgent enactment of a Renewable Energy Act to enforce standardization and curb the influx of substandard products, which undermine consumer confidence and slow down renewable energy adoption.
Also speaking, a renewable energy expert and former President of the Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria, Dr. Segun Adaju, noted that while Nigeria has multiple renewable energy policies, including the National Energy Policy (2022), the Renewable Energy Master Plan (2011), and the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy (2015)-they lack legal backing, making enforcement weak and inconsistent.
Adaju stated: “We have policies, but they are fragmented and unenforceable. Unlike Ghana and Kenya, which have clear legislative frameworks for renewable energy, Nigeria still struggles with policy implementation due to the absence of a Renewable Energy Act.”
Experts at the webinar outlined how a Renewable Energy Act would address these pressing challenges by enforcing policy consistency, unifying and strengthening existing policies under a coherent, enforceable legal framework.
They noted that by enhancing quality control, introducing strict importation and certification guidelines to prevent substandard solar products from entering the market among others.
In her address, CADEF’s Executive Director, Prof. Chiso Ndukwe-Okafor, stressed the urgent need for a legal framework to protect consumers and accelerate Nigeria’s transition to clean energy.
She said: “Nigeria has the potential to lead in renewable energy, but without a strong legal foundation, inefficiencies and poor implementation will persist. The time for a Renewable Energy Act is now.”
