The Energy Commission of Nigeria has finalized a strategic partnership with Longi. The Chinese solar manufacturer has agreed to support the development of a solar panel factory in the country with up to 1 GW of production capacity.

The deal was settled at a meeting between delegates from the Nigerian government and Longi at the company’s headquarters in China earlier this month, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between both parties earlier this year.

According to a statement published by the commission, Longi “expressed strong interest in investing in Nigeria and demonstrated readiness to advance concrete plans for the construction of the factory.”

The Longi project is the latest in a series of planned manufacturing sites in Nigeria aimed at boosting the country's solar market and domestic production.

In September, Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency established a special purpose vehicle with the Infrastructure Corporation of Nigeria and Dutch solar manufacturer Solarge BV for a 1 GW solar panel factory.

In March, REA signed an agreement with Lagos-based renewables developer Oando Clean Energy for a 1.2 GW solar assembly plant. Since then, the Nigerian government has proposed a ban on solar panel imports to help drive local production.