Nigeria has taken a significant step to combat the influx of substandard equipment in its renewable energy sector, as the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) received advanced solar testing systems from Chinese technology giant Huawei.
The devices are designed to verify the authenticity of both locally-produced and imported solar products, ensuring only quality materials are deployed in the country’s power sector.
At a handover ceremony in Abuja, REA’s chief executive, Abba Aliyu, said the equipment delivery was a direct fallout of President Bola Tinubu’s visit to China in September 2024, which led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under the China-Africa Initiative. This agreement paved the way for Huawei’s support in establishing a world-class mini-grid standardisation and simulation centre in Abuja.
Aliyu emphasised that the new centre will be instrumental in screening out substandard and second-hand equipment, such as photovoltaic (PV) panels and batteries, which have previously hindered private sector investment in local manufacturing and assembly. He noted that the presence of fake or used products in the market undermines investor confidence and the growth of Nigeria’s renewable energy industry.
“I am happy to say that today we are witnessing the fulfillment of all the commitments signed under that memorandum of understanding. The importance of this mini-bridge standardisation and simulation centre cannot be overemphasised.
“Nigeria is working towards positioning itself as the renewable hub of Africa. To achieve that, Nigeria would require private sector investment in the manufacturing and assembly of all the renewable equipment in the country. But one key thing that may hinder that, is the proliferation of substandard or used equipment that keeps coming into Nigeria.
“Private sector will require the assurance and the confidence that if they put in their money and build a manufacturing outfit in the manufacturing of photovoltaic panels or assembly of that, they would not be competing with people that import second-hand or substandard PV panels.
“To address that, the REA sought the support of Huawei and the Chinese government for the development of this simulation and standardisation centre. This centre will help REA to sieve out all substandard and second-hand equipment, be it the PV panels or batteries,” Aliyu added.
He listed some of the 18 equipment donated by Huawei as: Power analyser, multimeter, electronic load, AFCI generator, DC power, pyranometer, handler pyranometer, battery analyser, micrometer, screw gauge, barrier caliper, tool kit, computers, idea hub, and printers, among others.
According to him, some of the equipment that Huawei provided to REA were first of their kind in the country, showing the level of commitment Huawei and the Chinese government have towards supporting REA to address the electricity access challenge in Nigeria.
“What we are going to use this testing and simulation centre for is for us to certify the vendors that we will be using. The country is experiencing an influx of substandard or used equipment. We need to get rid of that for us to catalyse investment into the country.
“So, we are going to use this testing and simulation centre to certify vendors that have met the standard of REA for us to continue to buy their equipment and make use of it in the country. That is one. We are also going to use this to ensure the sustainability of our mini-grids infrastructure across the country,” Aliyu added.
On his part. board director of Huawei Nigeria, Zhang Jing, remarked that the mini-grid systems and testing equipment are engineered to withstand Nigeria’s diverse environmental challenges. He expressed Huawei’s enthusiasm for partnering with REA on this initiative, which aims to secure a more sustainable and reliable energy future for the country.
“They have been designed to handle different environmental challenges and withstand extreme weather conditions. Huawei is very delighted to partner with REA on this great initiative and milestone to make Nigeria have a more sustainable and secure energy future,” he stated.
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