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Agency’s 3Cs Strategy aims to transform Nigeria from consumer to producer of renewable energy solutions
The Executive Vice Chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, has called for a fundamental shift in Nigeria’s clean energy strategy, urging the country to move beyond deploying renewable energy technologies to manufacturing them locally.
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At the Mustapha Abdullahi Energy Leadership Fellowship in Abuja, Halilu issued a stark warning. Nigeria, he said, is becoming dangerously dependent on imported solar technologies.
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That dependence, he argued, is costing billions and sacrificing the nation’s potential for industrial growth, employment, and self-reliance.
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Nigeria’s Import Dependency: A Costly Reality
Halilu expressed concern over the country’s escalating import bill for 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 revealed.
He stressed that energy infrastructure alone cannot industrialise a nation, explaining that sustainable development requires an integrated ecosystem where technology creation, manufacturing, innovation, policy, financing, and skilled manpower work together.
Africa’s Energy Challenge at a Glance
Highlighting the scale of the continent’s energy crisis, Halilu noted that:
- More than 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa still lack access to clean energy
- Africa requires an estimated $15 billion annually to close the energy access gap by 2035
- Africa now has over 20 gigawatts of installed solar capacity
- Solar photovoltaic projects accounted for 62 per cent of renewable energy investments in 2024
Despite these gains, he emphasised that the pace of implementation must accelerate significantly.
NASENI’s 3Cs Strategy: Creation, Collaboration, Commercialisation
Halilu explained that the philosophy of building an integrated clean energy ecosystem underpins NASENI’s transformation agenda, anchored on the Agency’s 3Cs Strategy:
- Creation – Developing technologies that solve local problems
- Collaboration – Partnering with local and international stakeholders to accelerate technology transfer and capacity building
- Commercialisation – Ensuring research translates into market-ready products that improve lives
“Energy infrastructure alone cannot industrialise a nation,” Halilu stressed. “Sustainable development requires an integrated system where technology creation, manufacturing, innovation, policy, financing and skilled manpower work together.”
Flagship Initiatives Driving Nigeria’s Clean Energy Ecosystem
Halilu highlighted several landmark projects positioning Nigeria as a clean energy manufacturing hub:
Solar Industrial Park, Gora, Nasarawa State
The 40-hectare Solar Industrial Park is positioning Nigeria to localise the production of solar panels, batteries, and other renewable energy components—reducing reliance on imports and building domestic manufacturing capacity.
Partnership with Rural Electrification Agency (REA)
Under the Nigeria First Policy, NASENI is partnering with the REA to promote the deployment of locally manufactured renewable energy technologies in electrification projects nationwide.
Other Interventions
- Solar-powered irrigation systems to boost agricultural productivity
- Clean cookstoves to reduce dependence on firewood
- Decentralised renewable energy solutions for communities, schools, and healthcare facilities
Halilu described these interventions as “interconnected rather than isolated projects,” designed to strengthen local manufacturing, create jobs, develop technical capacity, and expand access to clean energy across Nigeria.
A Call to Nigeria’s Next Generation of Leaders
Addressing participants at the fellowship—commending organisers Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, and Hon. Dayo Israel, APC National Youth Leader—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,” he said. “What we need are leaders who are prepared to build institutions, strengthen value chains and embrace collaboration.”
NASENI’s Vision: From Consumer to Producer
Reaffirming NASENI’s commitment to Nigeria’s industrial transformation, Halilu said the Agency’s objective extends beyond increasing energy access to ensuring that the technologies powering Africa’s future are increasingly designed, manufactured, and commercialised from Nigeria.
He concluded with a direct challenge to the audience:
“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?”
According to him, NASENI has already chosen its path.
“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.”
