REA backs Africa’s Renewable Energy Investment Forum

By **Adewale Sanyaolu **

Nigeria’s growing solar market will take centre stage as the Renewable Energy Forum Africa (REFA) 2026 holds in Lagos on November 25-26 with the backing of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).

Organised by the Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) and supported by SolarPower Europe, the forum will bring together investors, developers, regulators, utilities and policymakers at the Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Victoria Island.

REA Managing Director, Abba Abubakar Aliyu, will deliver the keynote address at the opening plenary. The agency said the forum would strengthen partnerships, attract investment and support Nigeria’s clean energy and local manufacturing ambitions.

Nigeria is West Africa’s leading solar market, with about 618MWp operational capacity, ranking first in the region and eighth in Africa, according to AFSIA. The country also leads the continent in mini-grid capacity with 132MWp, while its commercial and industrial (C&I) solar capacity stands at 385MWp.

The market is receiving fresh support through the $750m World Bank-backed Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) programme, targeting 1,350 mini-grids and electricity access for 17.5 million Nigerians.

Another initiative, the $300m Nigeria Distributed Renewable Energy Fund managed by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority and Africa50, was launched in September 2026 to finance mini-grids, standalone solar and distributed energy projects.

The forum will also examine local manufacturing following the launch of Nigeria’s first privately owned 100MW solar module assembly plant in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos. The REA, Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria (InfraCorp) and Solarge are developing a 1GW manufacturing facility, with REA committing to off-take at least 200MW annually for five years.

The event will feature B2B meetings, an exhibition and the AFSIA Awards on November 25.

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