A Comparative Assessment of Climate - Resilient Photovoltaic Technology Selection for Local Manufacturing in Africa Using Nigeria as a Case Study

Africa holds 30 % of global mineral reserves and among the world's highest solar irradiation. Despite these advantages, Africa captures only 1.7 % of global solar capacity deployment and 2 % of clean energy investment, leaving over 580 million Africans without electricity. This is a gap rooted in the absence of a climate-appropriate photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing pathway. Using Nigeria, spanning Sahel heat (40.3 °C mean module temperature) to coastal humidity (> 80 % RH), as a case study, this work compared silicon, perovskite and tandem PV technologies for near-, medium- and long-term deployment. In addition, evaluation of possible manufacturing entry points, raw-material availability, climate-zone matching, market viability through modelling was done. IEC certification review and techno-economic analysis was also performed. Silicon TOPCon proved most viable near-term with 24 % efficiency, full IEC 61215/61730 bankability, and manufacturing cost of $ 0.1076/W. This cost was found to be 71 % below Nigeria's $ 0.365/W import price and hence reaching import parity of 5 MW. In order to match the global benchmark cost, a supportive policy was found to be vital. Perovskite which leverages Africa's 90 % tin-export share, remains medium-term. However, they are constrained by uncertified modules and moisture-driven degradation above 80 % humidity. Tandem cells which are up to 34.9 % efficient, represent the long-term ceiling but depend on imported indium, silver and silicon wafers. These findings offer a comparative framework and evidence base for climate-resilient solar manufacturing policy across Africa.