The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Climate Technology, Mr Olamide Fagbuji, on Wednesday said the Federal Government is committed to creating enabling policy environment for energy transition.
Fagbuji disclosed this during Lagos Solar Forum 2026, a high level policy dialogue conveyed under the Solar Power Nigeria Coalition in Lagos.
The theme of the event was tagged ” Building Consensus for Nigeria’s Just Energy Transition Future”.
He urged all stakeholders to work collectively to expand energy access, promote industrialisation, create sustainable jobs, strengthen food security, and build a resilient, low-carbon economy for Nigeria.
According to him, achieving a just energy transition requires strong collaboration among government, the private sector, academia, civil society, development partners, and the diplomatic community.
“Nigeria’s energy transition represents both an environmental necessity and a significant economic opportunity.
“So, improving energy access through solar and renewable energy is central to achieving sustainable development, strengthening industrial competitiveness, creating jobs, and enhancing national energy security,” he said.
Fagbuji said that climate change had evolved into a major economic, social, and security challenge, citing increasing climate-induced disasters globally and locally as evidence of the urgent need for resilient energy systems.
He stressed that climate resilience and energy resilience are inseparable and that Nigeria must seize the growing global shift towards clean energy, where investments now exceed those in fossil fuels.
Fagbuji acknowledged that Nigeria’s persistent energy access challenges.
He noted that millions of households and businesses continue to rely on expensive diesel generators and traditional cooking fuels, which constrain productivity, increase business costs, and negatively affect public health.
At the same time, he highlighted Nigeria’s abundant solar resources as a strategic advantage that can support universal energy access and economic transformation.
He commended the Federal Government’s policy reforms, particularly the Electricity Act 2023, describing it as a landmark legislation that decentralizes electricity generation and distribution.
The SSA to the President noted that these reforms provide the legal foundation for accelerating renewable energy deployment and attracting private investment.
Fagbuyi urged stakeholders to position renewable energy as an industrial strategy capable of driving local manufacturing, technology transfer, export opportunities, and job creation rather than remaining solely dependent on imported technologies.
Also, Mr Chris Kiff, Senior Director, Secure Energy Project, emphasised the importance of collaboration and coordination in advancing Nigeria’s renewable energy transition.
He noted that while numerous organisations, institutions, development partners, private sector actors, and civil society groups were already implementing valuable initiatives across the energy sector, these efforts often operate independently, limiting their collective impact.
Kiff stressed that the objective of the dialogue was not to launch a new campaign or establish another standalone initiative.
“Rather, the meeting sought to create a platform where stakeholders could identify existing efforts, share experiences, and explore opportunities for greater coordination under a common framework,” he said .
He encouraged participants to consider how diverse initiatives could be aligned under a unified umbrella that strengthens collaboration, avoids duplication, and amplifies collective impact.
Kiff highlighted the importance of building stronger networks across the renewable energy ecosystem, enabling stakeholders to better understand each other’s work, identify areas for partnership, and develop shared solutions to common challenges.
In his data-driven presentation, Mr Daniel Awolaja, Founder, AfriEnergy Tracker, examined investment trends, electricity access challenges, policy developments and the opportunities for accelerating Nigeria’s energy transition.
Awolaja lamented that despite having an installed electricity generation capacity of approximately 14 gigawatts, only about 5 gigawatts are consistently delivered through the national grid
He said that nearly 90m Nigerians continue to lack reliable access to electricity, highlighting the persistent gap between installed capacity and actual electricity supply.
Awolaja further observed that 2025 represented a particularly strong year for Nigeria’s energy sector, with approximately 3 gigawatts of new electricity generation capacity added.
He however stressed that increased installed capacity had not translated into reliable electricity access.
The founder said that the country’s electricity demand continues to outpace available supply, resulting in widespread dependence on self-generation through petrol and diesel generators.
In his opening remarks, Dr Michael Terungwa, the Executive Director, Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP) said energy poverty continues to undermine economic growth and human development.
According to him, it is correct to say that Energy poverty is trapping communities in poverty. “Nigeria has one of the largest electricity access deficits in the world.
“Despite being one of Africa’s largest economies, Nigeria’s national electricity grid is one of the least reliable on the continent, with electricity demand consistently outstripping supply.
“The number of people without access to electricity in Nigeria is put at 86.8 million, the highest world-wide, says a World Bank 2025 report.
“Millions of Nigerians rely on the use of generators and the removal of fuel subsidy made matters worse.The good news is that many Nigerians are now turning to Solar as a lifeline.
“Solar energy offers Nigeria a real chance to close its energy gap to clean, affordable, and accessible power for millions left behind by the grid,” he said
