EU, GIZ donates 200kW solar facility to SON
EU Donates Solar Power System to Nigeria’s Standards Organisation
By Providence Ayanfeoluwa
LAGOS — The European Union has donated a 200-kilowatt solar photovoltaic power system to the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
At the commissioning ceremony held in Lagos, Massimo De Luca, Head of Cooperation for the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, emphasized the collaborative efforts between the EU, Germany, and SON in delivering this solar project. De Luca noted that the donation underscores the EU’s ongoing commitment to enhancing energy performance and innovation in Nigeria.
“SON plays a critical role in domestic trade,” De Luca stated, reaffirming the EU’s support for Nigeria’s energy transition plan. Dr. Karin Jansen, Head of Development at the German Embassy, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the project’s significance in fostering a resilient business environment.
“This facility will assist SON in verifying energy performance standards,” she said, calling it an opportunity to bolster Nigeria’s energy future.
SON’s Director-General, Ifeanyi Okeke, characterized the project as a significant milestone in the agency’s collaboration with the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP), a partnership initiated in 2018 through a Memorandum of Understanding with GIZ.
“This collaboration has evolved beyond standards development to encompass laboratory infrastructure, conformity assessment, capacity building, and support for emerging sectors, including electric mobility,” Okeke stated.
He revealed that, with NESP’s assistance, SON has established Minimum Energy Performance Standards and energy labeling requirements for key electrical appliances, paving the way for a mandatory labeling scheme.
“This initiative will empower consumers to make informed choices while ensuring that only energy-efficient products can enter the Nigerian market. When fully operational, this facility will be the first of its kind in Nigeria and a reference testing center for the West African sub-region,” Okeke added.
The SON chief also noted the financial burden due to energy costs, stating that the agency spends approximately 80 million naira annually on diesel and around 6.7 million naira on electricity. He emphasized that transitioning to alternative energy sources could yield significant savings for the agency.
“As an agency that is not primarily revenue-generating, any savings we can achieve will be immensely beneficial,” Okeke concluded.
