By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja

Nigeria’s push for energy independence and industrial growth received a major boost yesterday as the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria (InfraCorp), and Dutch solar firm, Solarge BV, signed a co-ownership and offtake agreement to establish a one-gigawatt (1GW) solar photovoltaic (PV) panel manufacturing plant in the country.

The new venture, Solarge Nigeria Limited, is expected to transform the nation’s renewable energy landscape by localizing solar production, reducing reliance on imports, and supporting the government’s National Public Sector Solarization Initiative (NPSSI).

Under the agreement, REA committed to procure at least 200 megawatts of solar modules annually over the next five years for deployment in public institutions, including schools, hospitals, and security posts.

Officials said this guaranteed offtake would not only strengthen Nigeria’s clean energy drive but also sustain long-term demand for locally made panels.

The plant, to be built as a public-private partnership, will target 50 percent local content within its first three years of operation. It is projected to generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs, drive technology transfer, and expand Nigeria’s renewable energy supply chain.

Speaking at the event, Managing Director of REA, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, described the venture as “a turning point for Nigeria’s energy future,” noting that it would both expand electricity access and build domestic capacity in solar manufacturing.

Similarly, InfraCorp’s CEO, Dr. Lazarus Angbazo, said the project “marks a bold step toward energy sovereignty and industrialization,” while Solarge BV’s CEO, Joost Brinkman, stressed that the factory would set “a new benchmark for solar manufacturing in Africa.”

On his part, the Budget Office Director General, Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi, who witnessed the signing in Abuja, emphasized that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund and would help reduce diesel dependency while cutting carbon emissions.