Nigeria launches solar energy plan, Petrobras to return

The project aims to reach tens of millions of people through solar deployment while stimulating manufacturing, job creation and skills development

Nigeria has launched the National Public Sector Solarisation Initiative (NPSSI), a programme designed to expand solar energy infrastructure and boost economic development. 

The Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Yakubu, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently with key agencies to kickstart the project.

The ceremony at the Budget Office in Abuja marked a major step towards sustainable energy and innovative financing, the signatories said. 

Partners include the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI), and the Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria (InfraCorp).

The NPSSI aims to reach 75.5 million Nigerians through solar deployment while “stimulating local manufacturing, job creation, and skills development.”

Yakubu described the initiative as a strategic effort to bridge the energy gap and drive growth, citing collaboration with REA and MOFI to unlock funding and strengthen domestic capacity.

REA Managing Director Abba Abubakar Aliyu said the project was about more than power supply. “The NPSSI is not just about providing electricity; it’s about energising education, empowering communities and creating a sustainable future,” he said.

MOFI’s Executive Director of Investments, Femi Ogunseinde, called the plan a blueprint for scalable public-private partnerships, while InfraCorp Managing Director Lazarus Angbazo described it as a bold step towards energy security.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Budget Office officials, including Modupeola Lasekan, Muhammad Yusuf, Gajo Baidi, Nonye Onyekwu, and Isyaku Sani. Legal representation was provided by Hajia Maryam Saleh Hassan.

The REA recently said many rural communities connected to completed mini-grid projects now enjoy stable electricity supply, with some residents paying tariffs higher than Band A customers. 

According to local media Aliyu told Channels Television that charges vary depending on infrastructure costs. He said solar had proven a sustainable model for rural electrification.

According to him, the system allows flexibility, with some locations paying less than Band A customers while others pay significantly higher, the Punch publication reported.

“They pay for their electricity and they enjoy it, but there are other areas where the tariff is less than Band A. It’s subjective on the total cost of infrastructure we deploy within those communities,” he said.

Nigeria, Brazil deepen economic ties

In a separate development, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu announced the imminent return of Petrobras to the West African country, five years after Brazil’s state-owned oil company exited joint ventures. 

Speaking alongside President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brasília this week, Tinubu welcomed the renewed partnership, pointing to Nigeria’s vast gas reserves.

“We have the largest gas repository. So I don’t see why Petrobras doesn’t join as a partner in Nigeria as soon as possible. I appreciate President Lula’s promise that this will be done as soon as possible,” he said.

Altogether, Nigeria and Brazil signed five MoUs covering trade, diplomacy, science, aviation and finance during the state visit. 

Tinubu said the agreements reflected a revitalised commitment to bilateral cooperation.

Nigeria is Brazil’s 49th largest export destination, with trade totalling nearly $2.1 billion in 2024. Brazil exported nearly $1bn to Nigeria, primarily sugar and jams, and imported $1.1bn, mostly fertilisers.

Cover photo:  The Robinyan interconnected solar mini-grid in Nigeria’s Ogun State. Source: RMI