• Fouani Nigeria and JinkoSolar agree on 500 MW of solar panels for decentralized use

• Project targets homes, businesses, and industrial sites amid grid constraints

• Solar demand rises as diesel costs surge and imports of panels increase

Nigeria’s decentralized power market is set to receive a major boost as demand grows for alternatives to an unreliable national grid.

On April 28, Fouani Nigeria, a distributor of energy solutions, announced a framework agreement with Chinese manufacturer JinkoSolar to supply 500 megawatts of photovoltaic modules. The panels are intended for decentralized use across the country.

The equipment will be installed on rooftops of factories, shopping centers, office buildings, and homes, targeting residential, commercial, and industrial users. The rollout timeline and financing details have not been disclosed.

Fouani Nigeria’s chief executive, Mohamed Fouani, said the partnership would position the company as a key player in expanding access to reliable electricity across the country.

The agreement comes at a time when Nigeria remains heavily dependent on diesel generators due to persistent weaknesses in the national power grid. In 2025, Nigerians spent about 15,000 billion naira on diesel, according to former Energy Minister Adebayo Adelabu.

At the same time, imports of Chinese solar panels are rising sharply. According to Ember’s Global Electricity Review 2026, African countries imported 18.8 gigawatts of solar panels in 2025, up from 12.7 gigawatts in 2024, a 48% increase. Nigeria ranks among the leading markets, alongside Egypt, Algeria, South Africa, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This growth is driven by the rapid expansion of decentralized solar in Nigeria. According to the Global Solar Council’s Africa Market Outlook for Solar PV: 2026–2029, the country’s solar capacity rose from about 385 megawatts in 2024 to nearly 1.19 gigawatts in 2025. Around 96% of this capacity comes from off-grid systems, commercial and industrial rooftops, and private mini-grids.

The trend reflects the growing role of solar solutions in addressing the limits of Nigeria’s power infrastructure and the high cost of diesel.

Abdoullah Diop