• Salpha Energy's Calabar facility builds 300,000 units annually for national distribution
  
• Sector still relies on imports, with solar under 1% of 2023 power generation

Nigeria’s solar sector is increasingly developing local assembly capacity to meet rising demand for off-grid solutions. One example is in Calabar, Cross River State, where Nigerian company Salpha Energy operates a facility that assembles batteries, lamps and solar kits for households and small businesses.

According to data reported Monday by The Japan Times, based on figures from Salpha Energy, the company has distributed more than 2 million solar systems since 2017. The Calabar facility includes a full assembly line covering production, quality control, packaging and logistics.

Salpha says it can produce up to 300,000 units per year. Its products are distributed across several Nigerian states, helping to support the growth of an emerging domestic manufacturing segment.

This expansion of local capability comes as Nigeria’s power system remains heavily dependent on natural gas. The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that gas accounted for 77.2% of electricity generation in 2023, compared with 22.2% for hydropower and just 0.5% for solar photovoltaic.

Despite Salpha’s progress, local assembly capacity still falls short of the strong demand for off-grid equipment. The market continues to rely heavily on imported solar panels and components, which remain essential to meeting the country’s energy needs.

Abdel-Latif Boureima