Sunday Ehigiator
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, has urged Nigeria to shift from merely deploying renewable energy technologies to manufacturing them locally, warning that continued dependence on imports is slowing down the country’s industrial development.
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 argued that Nigeria’s clean energy future depends on building an integrated ecosystem that combines innovation, manufacturing, research, policy, financing and human capital, rather than focusing solely on energy deployment.
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 investments in developing future energy leaders as critical to building sustainable national infrastructure.
Highlighting the scale of Africa’s energy challenge, the NASENI chief noted that more than 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa still lack access to clean energy, while the continent requires an estimated $15 billion annually to bridge the energy access gap by 2035.
He added that although Africa has installed more than 20 gigawatts of solar capacity, with solar photovoltaic projects accounting for 62 per cent of renewable energy investments in 2024, implementation must be accelerated.
Turning to Nigeria, Halilu expressed concern over the country’s increasing reliance on imported renewable energy technologies.
He said: “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.”
According to him, energy infrastructure alone cannot industrialise a nation, stressing that sustainable development requires a system where technology creation, manufacturing, innovation, policy, financing and skilled manpower work together.
He explained that the philosophy forms the foundation of NASENI’s transformation agenda, which is anchored on the agency’s 3Cs Strategy of Creation, Collaboration and Commercialisation.
Halilu said the agency is focused on developing technologies that address local challenges, partnering local and international organisations to facilitate technology transfer and capacity building, and commercialising research to ensure innovations become products that improve lives.
He highlighted several flagship initiatives aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s clean energy ecosystem, including the 40-hectare Solar Industrial Park in Gora, Nasarawa State, which he said would localise the production of solar panels, batteries and other renewable energy components.
The NASENI boss also pointed to the agency’s partnership with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) under the Nigeria First Policy, which promotes the deployment of locally manufactured renewable energy technologies in electrification projects across the country.
Other initiatives, he said, included solar-powered irrigation systems to improve agricultural productivity, clean cookstoves to reduce dependence on firewood, and decentralised renewable energy solutions for schools, healthcare facilities and underserved communities.
He described the projects as interconnected interventions designed to strengthen local manufacturing, create jobs, build technical capacity, and expand access to clean energy nationwide.
Addressing participants at the fellowship, Halilu challenged young Nigerians to become systems thinkers capable of connecting technology with policy, innovation with investment, and ideas with execution.
“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 the country’s industrial transformation, Halilu said the agency’s vision extends beyond expanding energy access to ensuring that technologies powering Africa’s clean energy future are increasingly designed, manufactured, and commercialised in Nigeria.
He concluded by challenging participants to consider Nigeria’s place 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 it be among those who build them?” he asked.
According to him, NASENI has already made its choice.
“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,” Halilu said.
