Nigeria remains one of the most strategically important and fastest-evolving solar markets in Sub-Saharan Africa. With the Electricity Act 2023 reshaping the regulatory landscape, a nationwide push toward decentralised mini-grid electrification, and rising demand from IPPs, EPCs, and utility-scale developers, LONGi is well positioned to support the country’s electrification ambitions with proven technology, bankable supply, and local market expertise.
I recently sat down with Gavin Han and the LONGi team servicing Nigeria. The responses below reflect the combined perspective of LONGi’s Nigeria account team — Gavin Han, Jany Zhao, Henry Ijituyi, Ethan Duan and Samson Okorie — within the West & Central Africa (WCA) Sales Team.
Since the implementation of Nigeria’s Electricity Act and ongoing power sector reforms, what changes have you observed in the country’s solar market? How is LONGi adapting its strategy to support this evolving landscape?
Nigeria’s power sector reforms are creating a more decentralised and dynamic electricity market. The Electricity Act 2023 has enabled states to play a greater role in regulating and developing their own electricity markets, opening the door to broader private-sector participation and a more diverse project pipeline. States such as Kogi, Katsina, and others are now actively developing sub-national electricity frameworks, mini-grid concessions, and renewable energy incentives — including feed-in tariffs and tax relief — that did not exist prior to 2023. We are seeing more opportunities emerge for private developers, utilities and EPCs, while decision-making and project development are gradually becoming more responsive to local energy needs.
At the same time, the reforms are creating a more supportive environment for distributed energy. Embedded generation, mini-grids and other decentralised solutions are becoming increasingly important in expanding electricity access, particularly in under served areas. For commercial and industrial (C&I) customers, solar is also gaining momentum as businesses seek to reduce dependence on unreliable grid supply and diesel generation, improve energy security and manage long-term electricity costs. This is driving opportunities across the market, from rural electrification and C&I projects to larger utility-scale developments.
For LONGi, this shift has translated into a broader and more fragmented buyer landscape: state-level utilities and DISCOs, private mini-grid developers, and state-backed renewable energy agencies are now credible, independent counterparties alongside the traditional federal IPP and EPC channels. LONGi’s Nigeria strategy has adapted in three concrete ways. First, we have expanded our account coverage model beyond federal-level IPPs to include state electricity boards and regional developers emerging under the new licensing regime. Second, we have strengthened our bankability positioning — Tier-1 BNEF-listed status, long-term product and performance warranties, and a global track record — which is increasingly decisive as state and DFI-backed programmes (including the World Bank-supported DARES initiative) require financeable, insurable module suppliers. Third, supported by our local team, we are investing in deeper local relationship-building with EPCs and distributors who are best placed to execute across this now-multi-tiered regulatory environment, ensuring that LONGi module specifications are embedded early in project design rather than competing only at the tender stage.
At the technology level, LONGi’s high-efficiency Back Contact (BC) modules help maximise energy yield and lower LCOE, while our expanding solar-plus-storage solutions can support applications ranging from C&I and mini-grids to off-grid and hybrid energy systems.
Which market segments is LONGi focusing on in Africa — residential, commercial, industrial, or utility-scale solar projects — and how does this strategy align with initiatives like Nigeria’s 1,350 solar mini-grid rollout?
LONGi maintains a deliberately diversified segment strategy across Africa, with Nigeria coverage weighted toward three priority segments: utility-scale and grid-connected IPP projects, commercial & industrial (C&I) self-generation for manufacturing, telecoms, and commercial real estate clients contending with grid unreliability, and decentralized mini-grid / off-grid electrification serving rural and underserved communities. Residential remains a smaller, distributor-led channel rather than a direct key-account focus.
This segmentation aligns closely with the Federal Government’s flagship rural electrification push — a $750 million publicly funded programme, the largest of its kind globally, targeting the deployment of roughly 1,350 solar mini-grids nationwide, of which about 250 will be interconnected to feed power directly into the national grid. We are seeing that C&I and decentralised energy are emerging as particularly strong growth areas in Nigeria.
LONGi is well positioned to support this growth across different application scenarios. For mini-grid and off-grid projects, we work closely with developers and EPCs to provide high-efficiency, reliable module solutions suited to distributed applications, helping maximise energy generation while supporting long-term system performance. For C&I customers, our high-efficiency BC technology enables greater power output from limited installation areas and helps improve overall project economics. At the utility scale, LONGi combines proven product reliability, strong bankability and extensive global project experience to support developers throughout the project lifecycle.
How are LONGi’s latest technologies — including BC modules and integrated solar-plus-storage solutions — helping customers maximise energy yield and system reliability?
LONGi’s back-contact (BC) module platform, built on our proprietary Hybrid Passivated Back Contact (HPBC) cell architecture, is central to our technology differentiation in Nigeria. The latest Hi-MO 9 Prime series delivers up to 680 W and 25.2% module efficiency — among the highest available in utility-scale formats — while the Hi-MO X10 variant targets distributed generation and commercial rooftops with the same HPBC 2.0 platform. Because BC cells relocate the electrical contacts to the rear of the cell, the front surface is unobstructed, which meaningfully improves aesthetics for commercial installations and reduces power loss from partial shading — LONGi’s testing shows shading-related losses cut by more than 70% versus conventional non-BC modules. This is a material advantage in Nigerian deployment conditions, where dust accumulation, harmattan haze, vegetation, and uneven mounting environments are common causes of yield loss.
Degradation and reliability performance are equally important for Nigerian off-grid and mini-grid economics, where systems must perform over 20–25-year concession periods with limited maintenance access. The Hi-MO 9 Prime’s first-year degradation of under 1%, and maximum annual degradation of 0.35% thereafter, translates into roughly 88.85% of rated output retained after 30 years — directly supporting the long-dated PPAs and subsidy-tender economics that underpin Nigeria’s mini-grid programmes.
On storage, LONGi’s integrated solar-plus-storage solutions — pairing modules with battery energy storage systems (BESS) and hybrid inverters — address Nigeria’s most persistent pain point: grid instability. For C&I clients and interconnected mini-grid sites alike, coupling PV generation with storage smooths output, defers costly diesel back-up, and enables dispatchable power during outages.
At the core of this approach is LONGi’s “ONE SYSTEM, ONE PLATFORM, ONE RESPONSIBILITY” concept. Rather than treating PV and storage as separate components, LONGi brings generation, storage and intelligent system management together under an integrated platform, providing customers with a more coordinated solution and a single point of responsibility across the system.
What are the key challenges LONGi anticipates in Nigeria’s renewable energy market and how is the company addressing them?
Nigeria’s solar market offers significant growth potential, but its diverse operating environment also presents technical challenges. High temperatures, dust accumulation, humidity and partial shading can all affect module performance, energy yield and long-term reliability. These conditions make it increasingly important to select technologies according to specific application environments rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.
Related news: Powered by LONGi HPBC 2.0 cell technology, redefining a new era of photovoltaic value – the HiMO X10
LONGi addresses these challenges through its scenario-based solutions, including its 5A product portfolio. Technologies such as Anti-Dust and Anti-Shading are designed to address real operating challenges, helping customers maintain stable energy generation, reduce maintenance requirements and improve long-term system performance across different applications.
Another challenge is the increasing commoditisation of the solar market. As demand grows, a wide range of modules with varying levels of quality, performance and traceability are entering the market (tracked through Volza and customs-level trade data) . While lower upfront prices may appear attractive, underperforming or unverified products can lead to lower-than-expected energy yield, faster degradation, higher maintenance costs and ultimately weaker returns over the system lifecycle.
Thank you to you and your team for these valuable insights. LONGi is a great company and market leader. I wish you all the best going forward.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
For enquiries, please contact the LONGi team members directly on the numbers listed below.

 






Δ

August 10, 2026
July 22, 2026
July 13, 2026
July 15, 2026
August 13, 2026
July 8, 2026
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Returns Policy | Intellectual Property | Cookie Policy
© 2019 – 2026 GBA Digital Media Group. All Rights Reserved
Website Design | Website Maintenance
Copyright Green Building Africa 2026.

Subscribe to our weekly Top 5 Stories
"*" indicates required fields
Δ

source