A solar panel can produce useful energy for 20, 30, 40+ years with no maintenance beyond periodic cleaning and basic care to avoid breakage.
If you can buy them at artificially low prices because they are subsidized by a foreign government, you are making a big mistake not to get as many as you can.
Not sure I even want to bring this up but China is taking over Africa controlling significant amounts of land and governments. They have been using economic warfare to take as much land and resources as they can so I could imagine them "buying solar panels" via loans they will never be able to pay back short of giving up more land and resources. In fairness I think they learned from the USA how to do this and I do not entirely blame them as they have some demographic issues so maybe Africa and all the islands China are conquering will be what saves their nation. Good on Africa for implementing solar.
A Solar electric and efficiency revolution is about to hit Africa. As they adopt cheap solar panel and electrify hopefully many of the countries can get themselves out of poverty.