Nigeria Must Build, Not Just Buy, Clean Energy Technologies – NASENI Boss

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Khalil Suleiman Halilu, has urged Nigeria to prioritise local manufacturing of clean energy technologies instead of relying on imports, saying the country’s energy future depends on building a complete industrial ecosystem.

Halilu made the call while speaking at the Mustapha Abdullahi Energy Leadership Fellowship in Abuja, where he delivered a lecture on the theme, “Energy Infrastructure, Systems and Integration.”

He said Nigeria must move beyond simply deploying renewable energy technologies to producing them locally through investments in innovation, manufacturing, research, policy, financing and human capital.

Commending the organisers of the fellowship, the director-general of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, and the APC national youth leader, Hon. Dayo Israel, Halilu described leadership development as critical to building sustainable national infrastructure.

Speaking on Africa’s energy landscape, the NASENI boss said more than 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa still lack access to clean energy, adding that the continent requires an estimated $15 billion annually to bridge the energy access gap by 2035.

He noted that Africa has recorded over 20 gigawatts of installed solar capacity, with solar photovoltaic projects accounting for 62 per cent of renewable energy investments in 2024, but stressed that implementation must be accelerated.

Halilu also expressed concern over Nigeria’s growing dependence on imported renewable energy technologies.

“In 2025 alone, Nigeria spent over ₦400 billion importing solar technologies. In just the first half of 2026, that figure had already exceeded ₦200 billion. These are not just import statistics; they represent factories that were never built, jobs that were never created, and opportunities that left our economy,” he said.

According to him, energy infrastructure alone cannot drive industrialisation without an integrated system that combines technology development, manufacturing, innovation, policy, financing and skilled manpower.

He said the vision aligns with NASENI’s transformation agenda, anchored on its 3Cs Strategy—Creation, Collaboration and Commercialisation.

Halilu explained that the agency is focused on creating technologies that address local challenges, collaborating with local and international partners to strengthen technology transfer and capacity building, and commercialising innovations to ensure research delivers products with real economic impact.

He highlighted several initiatives aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s clean energy ecosystem, including the 40-hectare Solar Industrial Park in Gora, Nasarawa State, which is expected to support local production of solar panels, batteries and other renewable energy components.

The NASENI chief also cited the agency’s partnership with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) under the Nigeria First Policy to promote the deployment of locally manufactured renewable energy technologies across the country.

Other interventions, he said, include solar-powered irrigation systems for agriculture, clean cookstoves to reduce reliance on firewood, and decentralised renewable energy solutions for communities, schools and healthcare facilities.

Halilu said the projects are designed to strengthen local manufacturing, create employment, develop technical capacity and improve access to clean energy nationwide.

Addressing participants at the fellowship, he challenged young Nigerians to embrace systems thinking and bridge the gap between technology, policy, innovation and investment.

“Nigeria has the resources, the talent and the market to become Africa’s clean energy manufacturing hub. What we need are leaders who are prepared to build institutions, strengthen value chains and embrace collaboration,” he said.

Reaffirming NASENI’s commitment to Nigeria’s industrial transformation, Halilu said the agency’s goal goes beyond expanding energy access to ensuring that clean energy technologies powering Africa’s future are increasingly designed, manufactured and commercialised in Nigeria.

He concluded by challenging stakeholders to determine Nigeria’s role in Africa’s energy transition.

“When Africa’s clean energy future is fully realised, will Nigeria simply be a consumer of those technologies, or will we be among those who build them?

“We are building the ecosystem that will make Nigeria a leader in clean energy manufacturing and innovation while unlocking infinite possibilities for generations to come.”