The purpose of this Guide is to provide a clear understanding of the importation process for solar energy technologies in order to increase transparency of the importation process and provide a baseline importer guide for solar companies. The key areas covered include an overview of solar energy technologies, the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding Systems (HS Code) for solar energy technologies, quality standards, step-by-step importation process for solar energy technologies, and stakeholder mapping across the importation chain. Also covered are applicable import incentives for solar energy technologies.

The Nigerian off-grid solar market, in particular for stand-alone solar energy products, has grown geometrically over the past decade, with Nigeria currently ranked fifth globally in sales volume for key off-grid solar markets. Between July and December 2018, $4.4 million worth of off-grid solar products were sold in Nigeria, including both cash and PayAs-You-Go (PAYG) sales, highlighting the increasing maturity of the market.

However, despite this progress, several bottlenecks are still present in the Nigerian off-grid sector including the ambiguity of the importation process for solar energy technologies, which is currently still a major headache for solar companies. This is despite efforts by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in reforming its import and export process, from the setting up of the Nigeria Ports Reform Monitoring Committee and Presidential Committee to monitor ports in 2011, to the establishment of an electronic National Single Window (NSW) as a onestop portal for Nigeria’s cargo clearance procedures.

This guide was produced by Africa Clean Energy.

Read the Guide.