Comply with Policies and Regulations

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Introduction

Nigerian developers working on decentralized renewable electricity solutions for off-grid areas should consider several key aspects of regulations and policies to ensure compliance and the successful implementation of their projects. This page will give an overview of the regulatory landscape and list tools and resources that are of use specifically for developers.

Fundamental remarks

Table 1: Summary of Key Policies Governing Off-grid Sector

Policy	Agency	Description
National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy (NREEEP)	Federal Ministry of Power	This policy was approved by the Federal Executive Council in 2015 and details the Nigerian government’s blueprint for harnessing the country’s renewable energy resources to drive sustainable development.
National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAP)	Federal Ministry of Power	This action plan was approved by the National Council on Power (NACOP) in July 2016 and serves to implement the renewable energy component of the 2015 NREEEP.
National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP)	Federal Ministry of Power	This action plan was approved by NACOP in July 2016 and serves to implement the energy efficiency component of the 2015 NREEEP.
Rural Electrification Strategy and Implementation Plan (RESIP)	Federal Ministry of Power/ REA	This strategy and implementation plan was approved in July 2016 and was prepared by the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing (presently Federal Ministry of Power) to be executed by REA. The document was developed in line with FGN’s plan for rural electrification and provides the implementation framework and measures for driving rural electrification across the country using both on and off-grid energy solutions.
NERC Mini-Grid Regulations	NERC	These regulations were released by NERC in May 2017 and are the overarching document governing the development of mini-grid electricity generation (0-100 KW – 1 MW) in Nigeria. The regulation is designed to accelerate the electrification of unserved and underserved areas especially rural and peri-urban communities. It incentivizes and minimizes major risks associated with mini-grid investments and simplifies the process for private sector participation.
Sustainable Energy for All Action Agenda (SE4All-AA),	Federal Ministry of Power	Nigeria’s SE4All Action Agenda was approved by NACOP in July 2016. The key objectives of the SE4All initiatives globally are to ensure universal access to modern energy services, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency, and double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix by 2030.
Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC),	Federal Ministry of Environment	Nigeria’s NDCs are its global commitment to sustainable development measures that limit the rate of global warming and negative impacts of climate change. It includes the country’s climate targets and plans to achieve them
NERC Eligible Customer Regulations,	NERC	The Eligible Customer Regulations were approved in 2017 by NERC and permit electricity companies and Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to by-pass the Bulk Trader (the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) and DISCOs in order to sell electricity directly to eligible customers.
Regulation on National Content Development for the Power Sector	NERC	This regulation was approved by NERC in 2014 and aims to promote the deliberate utilization of local human workforce and material resources across the value chain of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI).

Mini grids

Over the last few years, mini-grids have played a key role in implementing Nigeria’s energy access and sustainable energy goals. They are now widely acknowledged as an integral component of the country’s energy ecosystem, delivering sustainable and reliable electricity access to nearly 27 thousand households living in areas that, until now, were out of reach of or unreliably served by the main grid infrastructure.

In 2016, two significant developments took place in the Nigerian energy sector. First, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) released the Rural Electrification Strategy and Implementation Plan (RESIP), which acknowledged mini-grids’ role in closing the energy access gap and improving supply. In the same year, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) approved comprehensive mini-grid regulation, NERC Regulation for Mini-grids 2016, covering a broad set of issues, from mini-grid licensing to quality standards and tariff design.

The Energypedia article Policy and Regulatory Framework for Energy in Nigeria discusses the regulatory landscape in more detail.

Guiding Principles

Provide training for your staff

A cornerstone for the successful establishment and maintenance of an off-grid solar (OGS) project is its personnel. During the construction of the plant, care should be taken to train them beforehand. Before entering a solar plant, the employee needs a hazard briefing including health and safety regulations. The operation and maintenance (O&M) of the facility should be carried out by trained staff who meet the relevant qualifications to work safe, accountable and responsible. Especially in rural, emerging markets this can be challenging as qualified personnel is not always available. Therefore developers should consider offering their employee standard training which is provided by public training institutes and international organisations as well as further education opportunities for instance in the form of certifications/ diplomas. A selection of training institutions in the OGS sector can be found in Table 1. The industry is changing fast, and so is the technology. Therefore a developer should create a continuous internal and external training scheme, including opportunities for qualification and development.

Table 1: List of training institutions and materials (own extended illustration based on USAID, 2022)

Name	Area of action	Description
Renewables Academy (RENAC)	Worldwide, online	RENAC is a provider for training and capacity building on renewable energy and energy efficiency based in Germany. Additionally to solar energy, they also offer courses on other renewable energy sources as well as on business development. The offer includes a variety of ready-made trainings for individuals, tailor-made trainings for industry and organisations and academic programmes. The formats take place online or on-site at the RENAC training center in Berlin. In addition to the regular training programmes, RENAC also offers projects in partnership with other organisations in developing countries. These are usually free through financial support by third parties.
Energy Delivery Modes (EDM) Training by UNITAR	Online	The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) offers a wide range of courses and training activities for a diverse audience. The free EDM training aims to build staff capacity to support the integration of energy access and sustainable delivery models of modern energy services into humanitarian and development programming. It is based on the EDM Toolkit developed by IIED and CAFOD. The course consists of three modules: Module 1: Introduction to Energy Access in Displacement Contexts Module 2: Hands-on Design of Energy Delivery Models Module 3: Developing & Managing Your Energy Project
Cornerstone of rural electrification (CORE)	Online	The CORE initiative was jointly launched by ARE, ICA, IRENA, SforAll, UNEO and UNIDO to address the immense capacity building and technical assistance needs to support the development of DRE systems. It offers technical assistance to Practitioners on aspects related to improving safety, efficiency and reliability of decentralised electrification projects; Communities (especially women) on productive use of electricity; and to Governments on enhancing the policy and regulatory framework in support of decentralised electrification.
Asteven Renewable Energy Academy	Nigeria, UK	Asteven Energy is the first Innovation Enterprise Institution(IEI) approved by the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) and accredited by Nigeria’s National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to offer a National Innovation Diploma (NID) in Solar Energy Technology. It is accredited by the ECOWAS Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) as a recognized institution for training and certification in Solar Photovoltaic (Off Grid) Installation in Nigeria. Offers: Solar Photovoltaik installation training (SPVI) For beginners and for those with limited knowledge National Innovation diploma in solar energy technology
Ashdam Solar Academy	Nigeria, online	Ashdam Solar specialized in design, installation and O&M of off-grid solar systems in Nigeria. They offer a variety of online courses, including basic information of renewable energy generation over system configuration and installment to customer service. Furthermore they have several onsite and blended (online and onsite) courses. One example is the “Solar Queen Program” which explicitly addresses women.
Blue Camel Energy Academy	Nigeria, online	The academy provides a range of online and onsite (tailored) training services for the renewable energy industry. Excerpt from the course list: Solar Photovoltaic Installation and supervision (SPVIS) Solar street lightning Technical vocational education & training TVET) Energy management course Solar system sizing & maintenance Finance
Ecowatt Nigeria	Nigeria	Ecowatt is a solution provider for sustainable development with focus on affordable and clean energy development. The company offers hands-on training courses and workshops which can vary from standard to tailor-made courses. They also organize trainings and study tours to Germany/Europe. Due Diligence for Solar Industrial and Commercial Energy Audit Training ISO 50001 Energy Management System EnMS
GreCo Academy	Online	GreCo Academy provides quality training that covers the entire solar energy value chain from finance, marketing, management policy-making and solar engineering. They also offer a variety of free courses. Excerpt of course offer: Basics of how to start a solar business Business and Finance Energy efficiency in buildings Customer service Policies and regulations Homer software Data collection
National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN)	Nigeria	NAPTIN is a parastatal training institute under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Power. In this context it offers training and certification among others for generation companies (GenCos) & distribution companies (DisCos), the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). Excerpt of course offer: Technical courses: NGSDP (Graduate skills development programme) NTSAP (Technical skills acquisition programme) PGD (Post graduate diploma in Power system O&M) On-the-job training Non technical courses: Leadership & Management Marketing & Customer Service Electricity trading, regulation & pricing Other, non-technical & soft-skills
Renewable Energy Technology Training Institute (RETTI)	Online	The training institute provides tailored education within and across the value chain of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Design and Installation Safety course Maintenance Business and entrepreneurship Starting a profitable solar business Import
Rubitec Academy	Nigeria	Rubitec Limited is a leading Nigerian renewable energy company. Rubitec Academy is an initiative to partner with academic and training institutions in Nigeria and abroad in developing future leaders in Renewable Energy and Environmental Science through a 1-year workplace training programme. Requirement is experience in the field. SPVI SPVIS Minigrid designer

Existing Tools

Name	Nigeria specific	Open source	Description
Regulations for Mini-Grids 2016, Simplified Summary	Yes	Yes	This Guide provides a simplified summary of the regulation primarily for stakeholders in the off grid renewable energy sector. It further provides some context for the regulation – including the definition and types of mini-grids, process and requirements for permit and licenses, project development processes, tariffs and other charges, relationship between stakeholders, compliance and technical requirements, compensation, dispute resolution and current implementation status.
Future-proofing the expanding market: Recommendations for improving the bankability of the mini-grid regulatory framework in Nigeria	Yes	Yes	This position paper aims to discuss further the identified gaps/lack of clarity – regulatory and policy – which are slowing down the scaling of the mini-grid sector in Nigeria and to propose ways for further improvement. It has been developed jointly by key stakeholders – developers, financiers, and industry associations – driving Nigeria's mini-grid sector's growth.
Solar Power Europe - Operation & Maintenance: Best practice Guidelines Africa Edition	No	Yes	The document assists the reader in developing a general understanding of the topic. The guideline addresses O&M contractors as well as installers, owners, investors, financiers, monitoring tool providers, technical consultants and interested stakeholders in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Bibliography