Yuchen Wang - Localising the Energy Transition: Domestic Solar Manufacturing and Green Industrial Policies in Nigeria and Ghana

Although solar energy is rapidly expanding in West Africa, much of the equipment used in the region is imported from suppliers across Asia and Europe. Over the past decade, both Nigeria and Ghana have sought to strengthen domestic solar manufacturing through initiatives to establish solar panel assembly plants and attract investment in local production. These efforts reflect a broader interest in green industrial policy as a means of linking the energy transition with domestic industrial development. Against this backdrop, the project asks: How are attempts to localise solar manufacturing in Nigeria and Ghana shaped by interactions among state institutions, firms, and global production networks?

The project will draw on five months of fieldwork in Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria, and three months in Greater Accra, Ghana. It will involve in-depth semi-structured interviews with policymakers, manufacturers, investors, and other relevant actors, as well as field observations and document analysis.