Nigeria Joins IEA As Association Country

Nigeria has joined the International Energy Agency (IEA) as an Association country, expanding cooperation between the global energy watchdog and Africa’s largest oil producer, the agency said on Friday.

The move makes Nigeria the 14th Association country in the IEA programme, which was launched in 2015 to strengthen cooperation with major energy-producing and energy-consuming nations.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with more than 240 million people, is one of the continent’s largest producers of oil and natural gas while also emerging as a fast-growing market for decentralised solar energy.

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said Nigeria’s admission marked an important step in strengthening cooperation on energy security, energy access and sustainable energy development.

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, welcomed the decision, saying it would deepen cooperation with the agency and support efforts to expand energy access and industrialisation across Africa.

“I am elated with the decision of the IEA members to officially welcome Nigeria to the IEA family as an Association country,” Ekpo said.

“It is an honour for Nigeria to join this leading energy agency, and I encourage countries across Africa to strengthen their engagement with the IEA as we work together to achieve key development goals, including universal energy access and industrialisation.”

Nigeria’s growing role in international energy markets has been underscored by recent developments in its refining sector. During periods of market disruption, increased fuel exports from Nigeria helped strengthen the resilience of African and global fuel markets.

The IEA said Nigeria and the agency would work more closely on energy security, methane emissions, electricity access and broader energy policy across sub-Saharan Africa.

The decision builds on cooperation between Nigeria and the IEA dating back to 2014. In 2025, the agency, Nigeria’s Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the African Energy Commission organised a regional meeting in Abuja to advance efforts to reduce methane emissions from the energy sector.

The IEA said its Association programme now includes 14 countries and represents more than 80% of global energy demand, up from 40% when the programme was launched in 2015.