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

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…