Those wishing to procure solar panels for in Nigeria may not need to travel abroad any longer. Reason: A company that will manufacture the panels is coming to Bayelsa State and will be mass producing the panels to meet the consumption needs of Nigerians.
The legal path has already been cleared for this, with the signing of a tripartite deal between the Federal Government’s Rural Electrification Agency (REA), the Bayelsa government and J Marine Logistics Limited, a subsidiary of the Dubai-based Jampur Group that supplied the state’s 60mw gas turbines.
The state governor, Senator Douye Diri signed on behalf of the state while the chairman of Jampur Group, Mr. Mohammed Shafiq, signed for the company in the presence of Vice President Kashim Shettima, who chaired the event, with the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and the REA Managing Director, Abba Aliyu in attendance.
Under the agreement, the firm would solely finance and establish a 100mw renewal energy plant for the manufacture of solar panels in Bayelsa in order to advance Nigeria’s renewable energy agenda. It would also provide the technical expertise, financial capacity and international best practices “necessary for the operation of a high-efficiency solar module manufacturing plant.”
Bayelsa was chosen for the project having been identified as a strategic industrial hub with favourable infrastructure, logistics, and workforce to host such a facility.
The state government would provide land and support for the purposes of establishing the plant as well as grant the necessary planning and construction permits and tax incentives. It would also support access to infrastructure, including access roads, water supply, power evacuation and security.
