REAN, NERC Pledge Closer Cooperation to Grow Nigeria’s Renewable Energy Market

The Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN) has held talks with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to deepen collaboration and accelerate the country’s renewable energy deployment, the association said on Tuesday.

REAN’s head of communications, Oisereime Lloyd‑Dietake, said the meeting identified major industry constraints, including weak capacity at some State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs), poor coordination between developers and distribution companies (DisCos), proliferation of substandard products, inadequate operator certification and limited access to timely regulatory information.

Addressing those gaps, she said, will require stronger policy coordination, institutional collaboration and enforcement, alongside capacity‑building and improved market standards to boost investor confidence.

Lloyd‑Dietake described the partnership as essential to bridging the divide between operators and regulators as Nigeria pushes for deeper renewable adoption amid persistent grid challenges. She noted REAN’s membership spans mini‑grid developers, solar home system providers, commercial and industrial solar operators, manufacturers and other stakeholders across solar, hydro, biomass and wind value chains.

REAN welcomed recent policy reforms, including expanded mini‑grid capacity thresholds and alignment with the Electricity Act 2023, as positive steps for the sector.

NERC, REAN said, affirmed its commitment to develop net‑billing and renewable integration frameworks, scale capacity‑building programmes, and improve coordination with state regulators and Renewable Energy Service Companies (RESCOs). The commission also called for greater public awareness and technical training for solar technicians to enhance quality assurance and consumer confidence.

Both parties urged stronger cooperation with agencies such as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA), the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and the Nigeria Customs Service to stem the importation of substandard renewable products.

They agreed to establish a national stakeholder engagement platform to bring regulators, DisCos and renewable developers together to tackle operational bottlenecks and improve policy implementation.