REAN, SON Synergise To Curb Fake Renewable Energy Products

The Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN) has strengthened its collaboration with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to tackle the proliferation of fake and substandard renewable energy products in the country.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by REAN’s Head of Communications, Mr Oisereime Lloyd-Dietake.

According to the statement, the partnership will focus on enhancing quality control and enforcement frameworks, stakeholder engagement, product testing, certification processes, and capacity building across Nigeria’s renewable energy sector.

Lloyd-Dietake said the collaboration aims to strengthen quality assurance measures, promote policy alignment, and ensure effective regulation across the renewable energy value chain.

“REAN reaffirms its commitment to standardisation and quality assurance. Tighter collaboration with SON is critical to eliminating fake and substandard renewable energy products from the Nigerian market,” he said.

He noted that weak enforcement and gaps in existing standards have continued to allow inferior products to circulate, undermining consumer confidence and slowing the growth of the renewable energy sector.

During high-level discussions between both organisations, REAN highlighted the need for stronger regulatory coordination to address emerging challenges in the renewable energy industry.

The Association identified key concerns, including inconsistencies in standards, affordability challenges associated with certification processes, and the increasing influx of substandard solar and renewable energy equipment into the Nigerian market.

Lloyd-Dietake further called for the establishment of additional testing laboratories and certification facilities to improve efficiency, accelerate product approvals, and reduce bottlenecks in the regulatory process.

He also advocated closer collaboration among critical regulatory agencies, including the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, and the Rural Electrification Agency.

According to him, such cooperation would help harmonise standards and strengthen enforcement efforts against counterfeit renewable energy products nationwide.

In its response, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria acknowledged REAN’s contributions to promoting standardisation within the renewable energy sector and expressed readiness to deepen collaboration with the Association.

SON also confirmed that REAN would actively participate in future standards review exercises and stakeholder engagements related to the development of renewable energy and electric mobility standards.

Lloyd-Dietake added that REAN is willing to formalise the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen cooperation, promote quality assurance, and accelerate Nigeria’s transition to reliable, safe, and standardised renewable energy solutions.