Uchechukwu Ogah, president of Masters Power Group and former Minister of State for Mines and Metal Improvement, has mentioned that Nigeria’s vitality future relies on the nation’s potential to steadiness far-reaching reforms with the realities on the bottom. He urged stakeholders throughout authorities, trade, and finance to harmonise coverage, funding, and innovation to make sure sustainable progress within the vitality sector.
Talking on the NAEC Power Convention 2025 in Lagos, themed “Nigeria’s Power Future: Optimising Alternatives and Addressing Dangers for Sustainable Development,” Ogah referred to as for pragmatic reforms and constant coverage route to strengthen Nigeria’s vitality transition and long-term stability.
He acknowledged the transformative potential of the Petroleum Business Act (PIA) 2021 and the Electrical energy Act 2023, however emphasised that efficient coordination amongst authorities businesses, regulators, and personal buyers is essential to their success.
“Nigeria’s vitality future shouldn’t be a alternative between alternative and danger; it’s a problem to navigate each dynamics collectively,” Ogah mentioned. “Success calls for a multi-pronged technique that leverages our strengths whereas confronting our vulnerabilities head-on.”
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Citing a report by the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Ogah famous that nationwide energy era stays under 50 % of put in capability because of persistent fuel shortages and transmission bottlenecks. He recognized three key challenges going through the vitality sector: making certain reforms ship measurable outcomes, maximising the worth of hydrocarbon property earlier than international demand declines, and increasing entry to inexpensive energy for residents.
The Masters Power boss underscored that oil and fuel stay central to Nigeria’s financial system, offering practically 70 % of export earnings and sustaining hundreds of thousands of livelihoods. He highlighted fuel commercialisation tasks such because the Utorogu Fuel Processing Facility as important to vitality safety and industrial progress, describing fuel as Nigeria’s “strategic bridge gas” able to powering industries, supporting clear cooking, and positioning the nation as a number one LNG exporter.
Nevertheless, Ogah warned that underinvestment, oil theft, and insecurity threaten the total realisation of the PIA’s targets. He added that whereas international vitality transition efforts pose challenges, in addition they current “the best financial alternative of the twenty first century” for Nigeria.
He referred to as on the nation to exceed its 30 % renewable vitality goal by 2030, warning that failure to behave decisively might flip Nigeria into “a shopper and dumping floor for imported applied sciences.” He confused, “We should not be customers of the inexperienced financial system; we should be creators inside it.”
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Ogah recognized fuel, renewables, and innovation as Nigeria’s three key progress frontiers. He advocated for large-scale photo voltaic tasks, mini-grids, and native photo voltaic manufacturing beneath the proposed Nigerian Photo voltaic Manufacturing Initiative. He additionally pointed to blue hydrogen, biofuels, and demanding mineral exploration as important for industrial diversification.
Highlighting persistent dangers similar to coverage inconsistency, infrastructure deficits, and abilities shortages, Ogah proposed sensible options, together with a single-window licensing system, grid modernisation, and benefit-sharing fashions to strengthen investor confidence and neighborhood belief. “Coverage certainty attracts capital; neighborhood belief protects it,” he mentioned.
Ogah additional proposed establishing a Nationwide Power Transition Academy to construct native capability, whereas warning in opposition to industrial unrest, referencing current tensions between PENGASSAN and the Dangote Refinery.
He concluded by calling for a united nationwide effort: “By optimising as we speak’s hydrocarbon property and constructing tomorrow’s clean-energy ecosystem, we will gas sustainable progress for each Nigerian.
