Shell-funded impact investment firm All On, in collaboration with Auxano Solar Nigeria Limited, has successfully launched Nigeria’s largest fully automated solar photovoltaic (PV) module assembly facility with a capacity of 100 megawatts (MW), situated in Ibeju Lekki, Lagos.
The plant is targeted at reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported solar panels, thereby driving down foreign exchange costs and creating economies of scale in the use of climate-smart alternative energy sources.
As part of its $2 million investment in Auxano Solar in 2021, All On has financed the solar PV assembly plant, which boasts the ability to manufacture 150 solar panels per day, 3,000 panels per month, and approximately 72,000 panels per year.
Speaking at the inauguration, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, All On, Caroline Eboumbou, said the facility represented a significant milestone in the growth and development of the renewable energy sector in Nigeria and Africa at large.
According to her, All On has been there with Auxano from the early days—from a $50,000 investment in 2018 to a much larger $1.5 million investment in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 disruption to an additional $500,000 in 2022.
She said: “The success of Auxano as the first privately-owned solar assembly factory is a triumph for the promotion of local manufacturing within the Nigerian renewable energy sector.”
Chairman of Shell Companies in Nigeria, Osagie Okunbor, who was represented at the event by Shell All On board member Hans Nijkamp, said: “The Auxano project is a visual representation of what we at Shell hoped to achieve when we established All On in 2017.
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Auxano Solar Nigeria, Chuks Umezulora, emphasised that inaugurating the 100 MW automated solar panel factory was a dream come true.
Umezulora stated, “I am determined to be a part of the solution, even though Nigeria may lag behind in various aspects crucial for development. This factory represents my contribution to our economy’s growth, and I aspire to inspire someone with my story of perseverance and commitment to pursue even larger endeavors. Take action, because you have the capability.”
