The federal government of Nigeria has been warned by a new report by global consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers against implementing an immediate restriction on solar panel imports.

The report warned that the immediate restriction on solar panel imports could disrupt Nigeria's fragile gains in energy access and weaken investor confidence in the renewable energy sector. According to the report, entitled “Rethinking Nigeria's proposed solar panel import policy,” while the effort to promote local manufacturing and industrialization is commendable, a measured and gradual approach is needed to avoid unintended consequences. These recommendations follow the government's announcement to ban the import of solar panels, citing the influx of substandard products. The federal government, through the Ministry of Science and Technology, had proposed a policy to restrict imports of solar panels in order to localize production, preserve foreign exchange, and create jobs.

For PwC, if the plan is not properly sequenced, it may dampen Nigeria's clean energy momentum.