How to avoid solar scams and substandard installers in Nigeria
A practical checklist for Nigerian homes and businesses: the questions, documents and red flags that separate a proper solar installer from a risky one.
MGM Energy technical team · Engineering · 2026-09-21
Most bad solar installations in Nigeria are not fraud. They are undersized batteries, missing surge protection, poor earthing and warranties nobody honours. You can screen for all of them before you pay.
Red flags
- A savings percentage or payback period quoted before anyone has looked at your site.
- A single lump-sum price with no itemised equipment list.
- 'Zero upfront' or 'free solar' offers you do not fully understand.
- No registered company number, no office address, no written warranty.
- Batteries or panels with no datasheet, serial numbers or Nigerian distributor invoice.
Documents to ask for
- CAC registration and the company's NEMSA status — read the exact title and whether it is issued.
- An itemised quotation with brands, models and quantities.
- A single-line diagram for anything beyond a small home system.
- Written warranty terms: who administers claims in Nigeria, and for how long.
- Test results and a handover pack at commissioning.
The one question that filters most problems
Ask: 'which of these numbers did you measure on my site?' A contractor who measured can answer it. One who did not will change the subject.