Hussaini Umar
Dutse, Jigawa State – In a strategic move to capture a segment of Nigeria’s renewable energy value chain, the Jigawa State Government has finalized a joint venture agreement to establish a 100-megawatt (MW) per annum solar panel assembly factory. The partners, Tesni Energy Nigeria Limited and Beijing’s Leda GreenPower Energy Engineering Company, will execute the project, which state leadership describes as a cornerstone of its industrial and energy security strategy.
The agreement, signed at the Government House in Dutse, marks one of the first major investments of its kind in Northern Nigeria and is designed to serve a dual purpose: commercial production and direct feedstock for state power projects.
Data-Driven Strategy for Energy and Industry
Governor Umar Namadi framed the project as a critical component of the state’s long-term development plan. “This plant will act as a feeder to our broader plan to develop a 100-megawatt solar power generation facility,” Namadi stated. Beyond standard panels, the factory’s output is planned to include solar-powered irrigation pumps and other associated products, potentially integrating agricultural technology with energy production.
The economic projections were underscored by the Team Lead for the consortium, Engr. Bashir Ishak. He provided key data points:
- Production Capacity: 100 MW of solar panels annually.
- Project Valuation: Over $5 million.
- Cost Reduction Impact: Current solar power deployment costs of approximately $1 million per MW are expected to drop by 50 to 60% due to localized assembly.
- Technical Operation: The facility will be a semi-automatic production plant, with manual segments aimed at youth employment and automated systems managing high-precision technical processes.
“This will position Jigawa as the first location in Nigeria where this category of solar panels is produced locally from start to finish,” Ishak claimed, noting that feasibility and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies are already complete.
Aligning with Broader Regulatory Shifts
The Jigawa State Commissioner for Power and Renewable Energy, Engr. Surajo Musa, highlighted the project’s alignment with recent federal reforms. The 2023 Electricity Act empowers states to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity within their jurisdictions, making in-state manufacturing of generation components a strategically logical step.
Governor Namadi assured investors of the state’s full commitment, emphasizing the anticipated ripple effects of job creation, stimulation of local industries, and attraction of ancillary investments. The project represents a tangible test case for state-level public-private partnerships in building foundational renewable energy infrastructure.
