Expert Warns Nigerians Of Potential Fire Disaster As Substandard Solar Products, Installers Flood Markets

As millions of Nigerians ditch the unstable national grid and turn to solar for survival, experts have warned that danger could be looming over poorly installed systems by unqualified technicians, with the potential to spark deadly fires.

One of the experts, Yakubu Yunusa, a trained solar analyst, in an interview with SaharaReporters, warned that Nigerians risk infernos from unprofessional installations if urgent action is not taken.

He warned that Nigeria’s rapid solar growth is being hijacked by dangerous trends.

He lamented that the Nigerian market is being flooded with fake, second-hand (Tokunbo) solar panels, low-quality inverters, and poor batteries that cannot meet the country’s energy and climate demands.

“Nigeria is richly blessed — receiving between 3.5 and 7.0 kWh/m²/day of solar radiation. Harnessing even 1% of our landmass could produce over 180,000 MW of clean energy,” Yunusa said.

“But without trained professionals and quality products, this blessing could become a curse.”

“If government officials fail to stop unprofessional installations and monitor solar imports, and educate the end users on the right way to light up solar, they should be ready to combat more fire hazard ,and distribute more and  more fire extinguishers to the society,  expand the fire service — because, at the future  rate, fires will increase sharply within more years.”

Yunusa runs Herolinks Globaltech, a company that installs solar systems and trains Nigerian youths in proper solar energy practices.

Yunusa called for strict import regulation at all entry points to block fake and unsafe solar products and mandatory certification for all solar installers.

“Nigeria’s future is bright,” he concludes, “but only if we power it the right way — with quality components, certified installers, strict oversight, and public education.”