Key points
- Energy expert Prof. Yinka Omorogbe says Nigeria’s energy transition should align with SDG 7 through stronger public-private collaboration.
- She says government should focus on enabling regulation while the private sector drives investment, innovation and energy infrastructure.
- Stakeholders identified weak collaboration, inadequate funding and poor implementation as key barriers to energy access.
- Industry and academia are seeking to commercialise locally developed energy technologies.
Main story
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, has called for stronger public-private collaboration to accelerate Nigeria’s energy transition and achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 on affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
Omorogbe made the call on Wednesday while delivering the keynote address at the 4th Dr Diran Fawibe Annual Lecture Series in Ibadan.
The event, organised by International Energy Services Ltd. (IESL) and the Centre for Petroleum, Energy Economics and Law (CPEEL), University of Ibadan, was themed “Public-Private Energy Shift: Innovation, Investment and Implementation.”
She said Nigeria must move from a government-dominated energy model to one in which government creates an enabling environment while the private sector drives investment, innovation, construction and operation of energy infrastructure.
According to her, Nigeria’s abundant energy resources have yet to translate into improved electricity access because of governance challenges, inadequate infrastructure and poor implementation.
“We are not talking about privatisation; we are talking about changing the structure of governance so that government enables, regulates and coordinates, while the private sector finances, innovates, builds and operates energy systems.
“We are no longer talking about policy declarations. We are talking about implementation, tangible projects and energy delivered, not energy promised,” she said.
Omorogbe identified weak collaboration among government, industry and academia as one of the major obstacles to effective public-private partnerships in the energy sector.
She urged government to create policies that encourage investment and help innovators commercialise research outcomes.
According to her, many promising innovations fail to reach the market because of inadequate funding and weak institutional support.
Earlier, the Managing Director of International Energy Services Ltd. (IESL), Mr Adebayo Ige, said the annual lecture series was established to strengthen collaboration between academia and industry while promoting practical solutions to Nigeria’s energy challenges.
He said the partnership between IESL and CPEEL had already produced prototype technologies, including AI-powered solar irrigation systems, smart meters, solar dryers and hybrid biodigesters, with plans for commercialisation.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, urged stakeholders to move beyond discussions and build partnerships capable of attracting investment, developing human capacity and accelerating Nigeria’s energy transition.
Also speaking, the honouree, Dr Diran Fawibe, said transparent regulations and investor confidence were essential to attracting the investments needed to address Nigeria’s energy challenges.
The Director of CPEEL, Prof. Olugbenga Falode, said stronger collaboration between universities and industry was necessary to translate research into practical solutions for national development.
The issues
Nigeria’s energy transition requires significant investment, innovation and collaboration to expand energy access, commercialise local technologies and achieve sustainable development goals.
What’s being said
“We are no longer talking about policy declarations. We are talking about implementation, tangible projects and energy delivered, not energy promised.” — Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, Senior Advocate of Nigeria
What’s next
Stakeholders are expected to deepen collaboration among government, industry and academia to accelerate energy infrastructure development, commercialise local innovations and improve access to sustainable energy.
Bottom line
Achieving Nigeria’s energy transition goals will depend not only on policy reforms but also on stronger public-private partnerships that convert innovation into practical energy solutions.
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