Nigeria’s persistent electricity crisis is not the result of inadequate resources or a lack of policy frameworks, but a consequence of weak implementation, poor enforcement, and excessive dependence on government-led solutions, energy experts declared at a major workshop hosted by the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
The consensus emerged during a three-day workshop on Africa’s energy transition organised by the African Engineering and Technology Network (AFRETEC), where academics, policymakers, researchers, and private sector stakeholders examined pathways to achieving sustainable energy access across the continent.
Held under the theme, “Empowering Africa’s Energy Transition: Innovations, Challenges and Collaborative Pathways,” the workshop focused on advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), which seeks to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
Despite being Africa’s largest economy and possessing abundant energy resources, Nigeria currently generates only about 4,200 megawatts of electricity for a population exceeding 200 million people.
Experts at the event noted that the country requires between 100,000 and 200,000 megawatts to adequately meet its industrial, commercial and domestic energy needs.
Lagging behind in energy consumption
Delivering a keynote presentation, Professor Olawale Ajibola, Director of the National Centre for Energy Efficiency and Conservation, highlighted the scale of Africa’s energy deficit, noting that annual per capita electricity consumption in sub-Saharan Africa averages about 180 kilowatt per hour, compared with roughly 30,000 kilowatt per hour in Europe and the United States.
Ajibola argued that Nigeria possesses more than enough natural resources to address its energy challenges. He pointed to uranium deposits spread across six states in Nigeria and significant lithium reserves located in Nasarawa, Osun and Cross River states as examples of untapped opportunities.
According to him, Nigeria should adopt a pragmatic energy transition strategy that allows continued utilisation of non-renewable energy sources in the short term while investing heavily in indigenous technologies that can drive a sustainable long-term transition.
He questioned international pressure on developing nations to rapidly abandon fossil fuels, arguing that advanced economies continue to rely substantially on conventional energy sources despite their public commitments to green transitions.
Also speaking, Chief Researcher at the National Centre for Energy Efficiency and Conservation, Shitta Manasseh, identified policy implementation as Nigeria’s biggest challenge.
“In Nigeria, we are not short of policies. The problem we have is the enforcement of the policies that we have,” he said, stressing that numerous well-crafted energy policies have failed to achieve desired outcomes because of weak execution.
The workshop also spotlighted the role of sub-national governments in addressing energy access challenges.
General Manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Babatunde Ajayi, disclosed that Lagos currently has only about 20 per cent grid electricity coverage, forcing residents and businesses to rely heavily on alternative power sources.
He revealed that the state’s estimated 4.5 million generators contribute nearly 70 per cent of emissions at the community level, creating both environmental and public health concerns.
Ajayi highlighted ongoing efforts by the Lagos State Government to promote cleaner energy alternatives, including the operation of a biogas-powered electricity plant at the Ikosi fruit market, where organic waste is converted into electricity.
He further disclosed that construction is underway on a $400 million waste-to-energy facility in Epe, financed by Chinese banks, which is expected to significantly boost renewable energy generation and improve waste management within the state.
While commending the Federal Government’s decision to remove import duties on solar batteries, Ajayi called for additional fiscal incentives to accelerate clean energy adoption.
He proposed tax rebates of between five and ten per cent for businesses that replace at least ten per cent of their fossil fuel energy consumption with renewable alternatives.
Vasity Leadership throws Challenge
Speaking on behalf of UNILAG Vice Chancellor, Professor Folashade Ogunsola, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Mathew Ilori, challenged universities and research institutions to move beyond identifying problems and focus on delivering practical solutions capable of transforming the country’s energy landscape.
“This is the time to look inward and call on academia to focus on solutions,” Ilori said.
Local talents spark energy innovations
Beyond policy discussions, the workshop showcased innovative solutions developed by young Nigerian researchers through the 2024 AFRETEC Energy Innovation Challenge.
One of the featured projects, developed by Team Green Cell, is an electrolyser capable of producing hydrogen for electricity generation while simultaneously generating oxygen for medical applications. The innovation secured third place in the competition and received a patent in February 2026.
The competition’s winning team, Team Phoenix, unveiled Spectratem, a hybrid smart window technology designed to generate electricity from both sunlight and heat.
Team leader Folarin Eribake said the innovation was developed with Nigeria’s estimated 60 million people living without electricity access in mind, particularly those in rural communities.
The team also secured a patent for the technology in February 2026.
