The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), has entered into a strategic partnership with global off-grid solar company Sun King to strengthen local solar manufacturing, expand renewable energy access, and save the country an estimated $150 million in solar imports over the next five years.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed during the Nigeria Renewable Energy Innovation Forum held in Abuja, in the presence of Vice President Kashim Shettima and Sun King’s Co-founder and CEO, Patrick Walsh. The collaboration highlights Nigeria’s growing commitment to industrializing its clean energy sector through public–private partnerships.
According to a joint statement, Sun King’s planned local manufacturing operations, supported by REA and government policies, could replace solar imports worth $150 million while fostering stronger engagement between the public and private sectors to build a sustainable renewable energy ecosystem.
Vice President Shettima reaffirmed President Tinubu’s administration’s determination to attract private investment in renewable energy by offering improved incentives and removing regulatory obstacles.
“To unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s energy transition, we need our industrialists, innovators, and financiers to take bold steps,” Shettima said.
“We are improving incentives for local manufacturing, streamlining regulations, and working with states and development partners to de-risk private capital and grow a self-sustaining renewable energy market.”
The collaboration between REA and Sun King will focus on three strategic pillars:
- Local manufacturing and value addition
- Data-driven collaboration
- Joint advocacy for off-grid solar development
Under the local manufacturing component, both parties will work together to assemble solar panels, home systems, and energy-efficient appliances—including solar-powered freezers and televisions—within Nigeria. The move aligns with the government’s “Nigeria First” policy, aimed at creating jobs, promoting technology transfer, and reducing reliance on imported energy products.
Sun King projects that, with the right incentives, local production could replace $150 million worth of imports within five years and create thousands of direct and indirect jobs in manufacturing, logistics, and after-sales services.
REA’s Managing Director, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, described the partnership as a major step toward integrating industrial policy with Nigeria’s clean energy ambitions.
“This collaboration links energy access, industrial growth, and policy support into one unified push for Nigeria’s renewable energy future,” Aliyu said.
“Sun King has been a major partner on REA’s Nigeria Electrification Programme. This new chapter deepens our shared vision by merging industrialization and policy alignment.”
The second component of the deal will promote data sharing and technical cooperation between REA and Sun King to enhance the effectiveness of national initiatives such as the Nigeria Electrification Project and the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) programme.
The insights gathered will also feed into Mission 300, a global effort to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030, where Nigeria is expected to play a key leadership role.
The third pillar emphasizes advocacy and public awareness, positioning off-grid solar systems as a key part of Nigeria’s energy transition strategy. Both parties will champion favourable financing policies to encourage private investment and highlight solar technology’s growing impact in rural and peri-urban communities.
Sun King, which currently sells more than 330,000 solar kits monthly across Africa, has expanded its Nigerian operations from 3,000 units per month in 2020 to about 75,000 units monthly today. The company plans to triple its output in the coming years to meet rising demand for affordable and reliable energy.
Sun King’s co-founder Patrick Walsh said the partnership reflects shared goals between the private sector and government.
“This agreement combines two powerful ambitions: Mission 300 and Nigeria’s industrialization agenda,” Walsh said. “It’s about making clean energy affordable, unlocking manufacturing potential, and using shared data to strengthen Nigeria’s renewable energy and electronics industries.”
Sun King’s growth in Nigeria has already created over 12,000 jobs in engineering, sales, logistics, and customer service. The new partnership is expected to deepen that impact through local assembly, component production, and supply chain development.
The REA–Sun King partnership could become a template for other African countries seeking to combine renewable energy growth with industrial development. It aligns closely with the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
With over 85 million Nigerians still lacking access to electricity, according to the World Bank, experts believe that scaling off-grid solar and hybrid systems, alongside local production, could significantly expand energy access while cutting down foreign exchange losses from imports.
