REAN and NERC Pledge Stronger Collaboration to Accelerate Renewable Energy Growth

The Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN) and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration aimed at accelerating the growth of Nigeria’s renewable energy sector and advancing the country’s clean energy transition agenda. 

The association noted that achieving Nigeria’s energy transition goals would require improved market standards, enhanced investor confidence, and stronger cooperation among key stakeholders in the power sector. The President of REAN, Ayo Ademilua, stressed the need for stronger policy coordination, institutional collaboration, and effective enforcement mechanisms to drive renewable energy deployment across the country, highlighting the association’s contributions through its diverse membership base.

The association commended recent reforms in the electricity sector, particularly the expansion of mini grid capacity thresholds and policy alignments with the Electricity Act 2023, describing them as important milestones for renewable energy development. Ademilua identified several challenges confronting the industry, including limited capacity among some State Electricity Regulatory Commissions, coordination gaps between renewable energy developers and Distribution Companies, the proliferation of substandard products, inadequate certification of operators, and limited access to timely regulatory information. He stated that addressing these challenges will require stronger collaboration between regulators, industry players, and government institutions.

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NERC called for enhanced collaboration among key government agencies, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency, the Rural Electrification Agency, and the Nigeria Customs Service, to curb the influx of substandard renewable energy products into the Nigerian market. Both organisations agreed on the need to establish a national stakeholder engagement platform that would bring together regulators, Distribution Companies, and renewable energy developers to address operational bottlenecks and improve policy implementation.