African governments create waste rules for surging solar and battery use

African governments are developing policies to manage waste from solar panels, batteries, and other clean technology equipment as installations across the continent surge.

Officials warn that the shift toward renewable energy could create environmental problems unless they invest in recycling and reuse systems to recover valuable materials. Many households and businesses in Africa are installing solar panels and battery storage to bypass unreliable grid power.

The energy think-tank Ember projects that the continent will install a record 17 gigawatts of solar capacity in 2026, which equals about 100,000 solar panels every day. This growth follows a 51% increase in 2025 and a 25% increase in 2024. In Nigeria, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency is drafting a national policy on waste management for off-grid renewable energy equipment.

Once approved, the policy will require producers, distributors, and importers to take responsibility for products from production to their end of life. This approach, known as Extended Producer Responsibility, aims to create a recycling value chain. Nigeria imported about 400 billion naira ($295 million) worth of solar equipment in 2025 alone. Other nations are taking similar actions. Kenya introduced regulations in 2024 requiring companies to finance the collection and recycling of batteries and electronic equipment.

Namibia is preparing investment opportunities for waste buy-back centres and innovation hubs. Meanwhile, energy ministers of the Economic Community of West Africa States adopted a regional framework last week for the safe management and disposal of battery energy storage systems.