Nigeria’s commitment to a sustainable energy transition took center stage in Lagos on Monday as Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, reaffirmed the country’s leadership in Africa’s renewable energy agenda. He made the remarks at the First Legislative Conference and Expo on Renewable Energy, organized by the House Committee on Renewable Energy in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Abbas declared that Nigeria’s participation in the Mission 300 Initiative — a joint venture with the World Bank and African Development Bank aimed at providing electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030 — is a clear sign of the country’s dedication to clean, inclusive, and sustainable energy development.
“On the continental stage, Nigeria has assumed a leadership role,” Abbas said. “While progress has been made, the road ahead requires sustained effort across all sectors — legislature, executive, private sector, and civil society.”
He emphasized that Nigeria’s legislative reforms, such as the creation of a Standing Committee on Renewable Energy and the removal of VAT on renewable energy components, are designed to stimulate investment and accelerate access to clean power nationwide.
The Speaker also cited the Electricity Act of 2023 and the $1 billion clean energy investment approved by President Bola Tinubu, of which $750 million is allocated to expand solar infrastructure. This includes the installation of 124 mini-grids and over 25,000 solar home systems, benefiting more than 200,000 Nigerians.
“This is a structural reorientation of the global energy economy,” Abbas noted, citing that in 2024, renewable energy made up 92% of new global power generation capacity, mainly driven by solar and wind technologies.
Chairman of the House Committee on Renewable Energy, Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, called for swift and strategic legislative actions, including transitioning government institutions to renewable energy. He stressed the economic potential of the sector, saying, “Every solar panel and clean energy initiative represents potential jobs and skills development for our youth.”
Ghana’s Parliament also lent its voice, with its Speaker, Hon. Alban Bagbin, represented by First Deputy Speaker Hon. Bernard Ahiafor. He praised Nigeria’s initiative and called for stronger cross-border legislative collaboration to fast-track Africa’s energy transition. He highlighted Ghana’s success in utility-scale solar projects and supportive policies such as net metering and tax incentives.
UNDP Resident Representative, Ms. Elsie Atafuah, issued a powerful call to action, urging Nigeria to embrace its role as a continental leader. “The world is reorganizing around energy and climate security,” she said. “The next superpowers will be those who master the green value chain. Nigeria has the people and resources — but leadership requires courage and vision.”
Atafuah reaffirmed UNDP’s support through technical assistance, policy design, and scalable financing solutions, emphasizing that the choices Nigeria makes today will shape its economic and environmental destiny for decades to come.
The conference closed with a strong consensus: legislative innovation, private sector investment, and international cooperation are essential to delivering a just and inclusive energy future for Nigeria and the continent at large.
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