NEMSA issues safety warning as rooftop solar fires rise nationwide

Keypoints

• The Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency (NEMSA) has raised an alarm over an increasing number of fire incidents caused by improperly installed rooftop solar PV systems.
• The agency attributed these fires to poor workmanship, substandard materials, and a lack of protective devices like circuit breakers and surge protectors.
• Under the Electricity Act 2023, NEMSA has released mandatory safety guidelines for all solar installations in Nigeria.
• Only NEMSA-certified electrical contractors are permitted to install these systems, and they must possess a valid competency certificate during the work.
• Critical technical requirements now include a 0.13m clearance between panels and roofs for ventilation and an earth resistance value of 2 ohms or below.

Main Story

As millions of Nigerians turn to renewable energy to bypass a struggling national grid, the government is warning that “going solar” without professional help is becoming a deadly gamble.

On Monday, April 20, 2026, NEMSA issued a stern public notice following a spike in rooftop fires across the country. The agency noted that while energy transition is encouraged, the current trend of using unqualified “handymen” and low-quality components is creating ticking time bombs on Nigerian roofs.

To curb this, the Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation has mandated a strict set of rules for all future installations. Beyond using certified personnel, homeowners must now ensure their roofs are structurally assessed before panels are added.

The guidelines also tackle the technical roots of recent fires, demanding proper load separation at distribution boards and the separation of communication and power cables to prevent electrical faults.

For those using lithium batteries, the agency now requires a dedicated Battery Management System (BMS) and adequate cooling to prevent the thermal runaway incidents that have caused several recent blazes.

The Issues

The primary challenge is the enforcement gap; with thousands of informal solar installers already operating across Nigeria, NEMSA faces a massive task in policing every rooftop. Authorities must solve the problem of substandard component markets, as many “new” panels sold in Nigeria arrive with cracks or loose junction boxes that directly cause hotspots and fires. Furthermore, there is a thermal discomfort risk; Nigeria’s high temperatures mean that the mandated 0.13m clearance for ventilation is a physical necessity, yet many installers currently flush-mount panels directly onto roofs to save on bracket costs. To succeed, the government may need to empower local building inspectors to demand NEMSA certification papers before any solar-powered building is cleared for habitation.

What’s Being Said

• “While the adoption of renewable energy is strongly encouraged… safety must remain paramount,” stated the Chief Electrical Inspector of the Federation.
• NEMSA officials warned that panels with cracks or bent frames should never be used, as they reduce performance and “increase the risk of fire.”

What’s Next

• NEMSA is expected to begin “spot-check” inspections of solar installations in major residential estates in Abuja and Lagos to ensure compliance.
• A public database of NEMSA-certified solar contractors is likely to be promoted to help citizens verify their installers before signing contracts.
• Importers of solar components may face stricter border inspections by Customs to filter out the damaged or substandard modules mentioned in the guidelines.
• Training workshops for traditional electrical contractors are anticipated to help them transition into “certified solar PV specialists” under the new 2026 standards.

Bottom Line

Solar energy is the future of Nigerian power, but NEMSA is making it clear that there are no shortcuts to safety. By mandating certified installers and strict technical clearances, the government is trying to ensure that the quest for light doesn’t end in a fire.

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