Nigeria has emerged as Africa’s second-largest solar panel importer, surpassing Egypt with a record 1,721 megawatts of imports in the 12 months to June 2025.
This was disclosed in a new analysis of China’s solar panel export data from the energy think tank, Ember, published on Tuesday.
Nigeria is one of the countries whose citizens are still without access to electricity, with over 85 million people lacking access to electricity. To bridge this gap, Nigerians have turned to renewable energy solutions, with solar technologies becoming popular.
In a statement accompanying the analysis, it was indicated that Africa’s solar panel imports set a new record in the 12 months to June 2025, reaching 15,032 MW – a 60 per cent increase on the 9,379 MW imported in the preceding 12 months.
“The last time imports surged was in 2023, when South Africa’s solar imports picked up as the power crisis hit its peak. However, this time is different; much of the pick-up in the last 12 months happened outside of South Africa. Twenty countries set a new record for the imports of solar panels in the 12 months to June 2025. Twenty-five countries imported at least 100 MW, up from 15 countries 12 months before.
“In the last 12 months to June 2025, Nigeria overtook Egypt to become the second-largest importer with 1,721 MW of solar panel imports in the past year, while Algeria ranked third with 1,199 MW,” read part of the statement.
Despite these record imports of solar panels, there is no data to know how many have been installed. However, the report described how the savings from avoiding diesel can repay the cost of a solar panel within six months in Nigeria, and even less in other countries.
“Bottom-up energy transitions fuelled by cheap solar are no longer a choice; they’re our future. Tracking these additions is what makes the difference between a messy shift and an organised, accelerated one,” said Program Director at Renewables First, Muhammad Amjad.
“When you don’t track, you lose time and opportunities. Pakistan’s experience shows this clearly. Africa’s transition will happen regardless, but with timely data it can be more equitable, planned and inclusive,” he added.
Chief Analyst at Ember, Dave Jones, said, “The take-off of solar in Africa is a pivotal moment. This report is a call to action, urging stronger research, analysis and reporting on solar’s rise to ensure the world’s cheapest electricity source fulfils its vast potential to transform the African continent.”
The report found that recent imports could make a major contribution to electricity generation in many African countries, saying that if fully installed, imports in Sierra Leone in the last 12 months could generate electricity equivalent to 61 per cent of reported electricity generation in 2023, while in Chad the figure is 49 per cent. Liberia, Somalia, Eritrea, Togo and Benin could see a generation rise by more than 10 per cent of the reported 2023 generation. In total, 16 countries could see an increase of over five per cent.
