Energy Transition May Deepen Nigeria’s Energy Poverty, Others -NEITI Warns
By Sunday Etuka, Abuja
The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has stated that the global shift from fossil fuels to renewables is inevitable and would have profound implications for Nigeria’s fiscal planning, job market, infrastructure, and host communities.
Warning that the transition, if not properly managed, could weaken Nigeria’s fiscal base, threaten employment and infrastructure, and deepen energy poverty at a time when 86 million Nigerians still lack access to electricity.
Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, gave this warning during the presentation of the interim report on the impact of energy transition on Nigeria’s economy.
Dr. Orji, according to a statement made available on Tuesday by the Director, Communications & Stakeholders Management, Mrs. Obiageli Onuorah, explained that NEITI approached the study not as a formality but as an urgent national necessity, noting that the interim study was commissioned to integrate climate and energy transition disclosures into NEITI’s reporting framework, to track emissions, identify stranded assets, and highlight gaps in energy access.
He emphasised that the study is designed to expose policy gaps and amplify community voices, mobilise civil society to protect vulnerable groups including women and youth, guide the NEITI Board to embed transition metrics into EITI reporting, and engage academia and industry in finding a balance between profitability and sustainability.
In his remarks, Dr. Orji underlined that for this study to have real impact, every stakeholder must play their part.
He urged the media to serve as investigators and amplifiers, simplifying the report’s findings for public understanding, exposing the gaps between research recommendations and policy implementation, and amplifying community voices to ensure that no group is left behind.
He described civil society as advocates and guardians of justice who must mobilise citizens to demand transparency, spotlight gaps between study outcomes and government action, and fight for the protection of vulnerable groups while pressing for climate and environmental justice.
He also charged the NEITI Board, as policy anchors, to ensure that climate and transition issues remain firmly integrated with EITI reporting, to guide institutional responses to the study’s findings, and to continue championing Nigeria’s voice in both national and global transition debates.
Dr. Orji affirmed that the completed study will inform reforms in policy and empower citizens to hold both authorities and companies accountable for commitments made in the transition process.
He also called on government, industry, and civil society to demand equal access to global climate finance, technology transfer, and climate justice, noting Africa’s minimal contribution to global emissions but disproportionate burden in the energy transition.
The 120-page interim report outlined the methodology employed, examined the economic impacts of the transition, explored the benefits of phasing in renewables into Nigeria’s energy mix, and highlighted the central role of civil society and the media in steering the country’s transition journey.
