Nigeria: Africa Must Pursue Energy Transition On Its Own Terms — Ekperikpe Ekpo

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Dr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, has underscored the need for Nigeria and Africa to pursue energy transition based on their national realities rather than global general agendas.

Ekpo stated this on Wednesday during a ministerial panel session on “Global Shifts: Navigating an Era of Diverging Priorities” at the ongoing 2025 Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference.

He stressed that Nigeria, and indeed Africa, must be allowed to use their resources responsibly rather than follow externally imposed pathways that could undermine economic stability.

“Our position is clear: Nigeria and Africa cannot decarbonise into poverty. We must be allowed to use our resources responsibly to provide energy security, drive industrialisation, and ensure sustainable growth,” he said.

Ekpo emphasised that while Nigeria supports global decarbonisation goals, the energy transition must be sequential, just, and balanced, adding that the continent could not afford to decarbonise at the expense of development.

“For Nigeria today, about 80 million people are without access to electricity, and across Africa, more than 600 million still live without power. Millions also rely on biomass for cooking, which is not clean. Gas remains central to Nigeria’s energy strategy, serving as a low-emission fuel for power generation, industrialisation, transportation, and clean cooking,” he said.

The minister revealed that Nigeria was expanding renewable energy deployment in viable areas to complement natural gas utilisation and reduce carbon emissions.

He explained that while renewables were part of the country’s energy mix, heavy industrial and power loads could not yet be met solely through renewable sources.

“We are therefore taking advantage of our abundant natural gas to power our economy and ensure a just and inclusive energy transition,” he added.

The global energy industry is entering a new phase defined by recalibration rather than acceleration, as governments seek to reconcile sustainability targets with the realities of affordability, access, and security.

Amid this complexity, energy leaders are reshaping their strategies to sustain economic resilience — advancing renewables and power sector reforms while modernising legacy systems to ensure reliability and investment continuity.

The resurgence of hydrocarbons, volatility in critical minerals, and renewed regional competition for energy supply are compelling governments to strengthen domestic capacity and pursue pragmatic cooperation across borders.