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Renewable Energy: SON Launches Standards For Solar Components

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4 years ago

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The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) yesterday launched a range of new standards for solar system components in line with the nation’s drive for use of renewable energy.
The new industrial standards are for solar panels, batteries, inverters, photovoltaic (PV), charge controllers and metering standards.
The Director General of SON, Mallam Farouk Salim, said in Abuja that the initiative was part of the mandate of the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP).
NESP is a technical assistance programme co-funded by the European Union (EU) and the German Government.
According to him, the new solar components standards will support the Federal Government’s objective to accelerate access to energy, by creating a regulated solar PV market in the country.
He said that setting up and adhering to the standards would unlock the potential opportunity within the Nigerian market for renewable energytechnology deployments.
“Globally, lack of enough efforts to provide sufficient energy has resulted in the challenges and impacts that affect the climate, causing untold greenhouse effects.
“In Nigeria, we crave for high energy sufficiency while expecting to protect nature. Therefore, we can no longer afford to ignore actions against greenhouse effects.
“It is to this end that these sets of standards and the other approved standards in this category are considered very important, timely and instruments for actions to support energy sufficiency,” he said.
The director general said that the standards would also mitigate the negative effects of climate change.
“As these standards are launched today, opportunities for fair trade practices, lowered cost of manufacture/assembly, consumer satisfaction, business expansion, employment creation and career development will all be enhanced.
“I therefore urge you to comply with all the requirements of these standards to ensure good manufacturing practices and the best product quality that will satisfy all consumers at all times,” he said.
Salim explained that the SON would carry out stakeholders awareness campaign and strict enforcement to ensure that manufacturers, project developers and users complied with the new standards.
The Managing Director of the Nigeria Electricity ManagementServices Agency (NEMSA) and Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation, Engr. Peter Ewesor, said that the launch was a milestone in the effort toward enforcement of standards and regulations.
He said that NEMSA’s enforcement team would work with SON to ensure that manufacturers of electrical materials and installationsupheld stipulated standards.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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20 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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September 22, 2025

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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20 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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