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NASENI Boss Urges Nigeria to Manufacture, Not Just Import, Clean Energy Technologies

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, has called for a paradigm shift in Nigeria’s clean energy strategy, urging the country to transition from merely deploying renewable energy technologies to manufacturing them locally.

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

He argued that Nigeria’s long-term energy security and industrial growth would depend on building an integrated ecosystem that combines innovation, manufacturing, research, policy, financing and skilled human capital.

The NASENI chief commended the organisers of the fellowship, particularly the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, and the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Dayo Israel, for investing in the development of future energy leaders.

According to him, visionary leadership remains the foundation for building sustainable national infrastructure capable of driving economic transformation.

Africa’s Energy Challenge

Highlighting the scale of Africa’s energy deficit, Halilu 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 dollars annually to bridge the energy access gap by 2035.

He added that Africa now boasts more than 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 accelerate to meet growing demand.

Concern Over Rising Solar Imports

The NASENI boss expressed concern over Nigeria’s heavy dependence on imported renewable energy technologies, describing the trend as a missed opportunity for industrialisation and job creation.

“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.

Halilu maintained that energy infrastructure alone cannot industrialise a nation, stressing that sustainable development requires a system where technology creation, manufacturing, innovation, financing, policy and skilled manpower function together.

NASENI’s Transformation Agenda

He explained that this philosophy underpins NASENI’s ongoing transformation agenda, anchored on the Agency’s 3Cs Strategy—Creation, Collaboration and Commercialisation.

According to him, NASENI is focused on developing technologies that address local challenges, collaborating with domestic and international partners to facilitate technology transfer and capacity building, and commercialising research outputs to improve lives and stimulate economic growth.

Solar Industrial Park, Local Manufacturing

Among the agency’s flagship projects, Halilu highlighted the 40-hectare Solar Industrial Park in Gora, Nasarawa State, which is expected to localise the production of solar panels, batteries and other renewable energy components.

He also cited NASENI’s partnership with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) under the Federal Government’s Nigeria First Policy, aimed at promoting the deployment of locally manufactured renewable energy technologies in electrification projects nationwide.

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

He noted that the interventions were deliberately designed as interconnected projects capable of strengthening local manufacturing, expanding technical capacity, creating employment and increasing access to clean energy.

Challenge to Young Nigerians

Addressing participants at the fellowship, Halilu challenged young Nigerians to become systems thinkers capable of linking technology with policy, innovation with investment, and ideas with practical implementation.

“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.

He reaffirmed NASENI’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s industrial transformation, saying the agency’s vision extends beyond expanding energy access to ensuring that the technologies driving Africa’s energy transition are increasingly designed, manufactured and commercialised in Nigeria.

“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?” Halilu 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,” he added.