Key points
- The 11th Nigeria Energy Forum will focus on industrial growth, local value addition, and economic diversification.
- The 2026 conference and exhibition will take place on June 30 at the Marcellina Conference Centre in Lagos.
- Organizers revealed the event has mobilized over $70 million in clean energy and industrial infrastructure investments over a decade.
- The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s report on lithium in Nigeria will be officially unveiled at the forum.
- The finals of the fourth Tertiary Institutions Students Energy Pitch Contest will feature top student innovators.
Main Story
The 11th Nigeria Energy Forum (NEF) will focus on industrial growth and value addition as Nigeria intensifies efforts to diversify its economy, strengthen local industries, and unlock greater value from its natural resources.
Disclosing this in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos, the Chairman of NEF Dr. Daniel Adeuyi stated that the 2026 forum was designed to move beyond discussions and facilitate actionable partnerships that would accelerate Nigeria’s industrial transformation.
He noted that the event, themed “Upscaling Value Addition for Sustainable Industrialisation,” will hold on June 30, 2026, at the Marcellina Conference Centre, Radisson Hotel, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.
Adeuyi maintained that for more than a decade, NEF had served as a leading multi-stakeholder platform, mobilizing over $70 million in investments for clean energy and industrial infrastructure while attracting more than 8,000 participants globally.
To deepen domestic industrial capabilities, Adeuyi indicated that the 2026 edition would attract top decision-makers to explore practical solutions for improving energy reliability, expanding domestic manufacturing, strengthening mineral value chains, and creating sustainable jobs.
He added that the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s report on lithium in Nigeria, which contains recommendations on innovative financing for indigenous critical mineral value-add projects, would be officially unveiled at the event.
Concurrently, the Co-Chairman of the forum Mr. Adekunle Makinde stated that confirmed keynote speakers and panellists include executives from UNIDO, MTN, All On, and the Nigeria Mining Cadastral Office.
Makinde noted that the event comes at a critical time as Nigeria seeks to reduce dependence on imports, adding that the forum is expected to attract more than 450 investors and businesses globally.
Furthermore, Dr. Bamise Olanrewaju, NEF 2026 Strategy and Innovation Co-Chair, stated that the fourth Tertiary Institutions Students Energy Pitch Contest finals and awards would also take place during the event.
Olanrewaju noted that the contest, sponsored for the fourth consecutive year by All On as part of activities marking its 10th anniversary, would feature the top 10 teams selected from 107 shortlisted teams who emerged from 360 student innovators across 36 tertiary institutions.
She explained that the top three teams will receive grant prizes to support the scale-up of their homegrown clean energy solutions. Olanrewaju added that discussions at the forum would focus on powering sustainable industrialisation, promoting local manufacturing, infrastructure and artificial intelligence investments, scaling up renewable energy, and advancing critical minerals processing.
The Issues
- Moving away from raw material exportation requires substantial upfront capital to establish competitive domestic processing industries.
- Improving energy reliability remains a foundational hurdle for expanding local manufacturing facilities and stabilizing industrial output.
- Scaling homegrown student innovations into commercially viable ventures demands continuous mentorship and structured grant pipelines.
What’s Being Said
- Chairman of NEF Dr. Daniel Adeuyi stated that the 2026 forum was “designed to move beyond discussions and facilitate actionable partnerships that would accelerate Nigeria’s industrial transformation.”
- He noted that the platform had historically succeeded in “mobilising over $70 million in investments for clean energy and industrial infrastructure and attracting more than 8,000 participants globally.”
- Co-Chairman Mr. Adekunle Makinde maintained that “Nigeria cannot continue exporting raw materials while importing finished products at higher costs.”
- He added that “The future of sustainable economic growth lies in local value addition, industrial processing, energy security, innovation and strategic investments that create jobs and build competitive industries.”
What’s Next
- Forum coordinators will complete technical setup arrangements at the Marcellina Conference Centre ahead of the June 30 presentation timeline.
- Representative teams from the UN Economic Commission for Africa will finalize the presentation copy of the critical minerals report for its official unveiling.
- Faculty mentors and the top 10 student pitch finalists will arrive in Lagos to pitch their homegrown clean energy solutions for the grant awards.
Bottom Line
Gathering over 450 global investors and key sector decision-makers in Lagos, the 11th Nigeria Energy Forum aims to translate high-level policy dialogue into actionable partnerships that halt raw material exportation and drive local industrial value addition.
