Leading energy experts, academics and industry players have urged the Federal Government to forge stronger collaboration with the private sector and universities to accelerate Nigeria’s energy transition, warning that weak implementation, rather than policy deficits, remains the biggest obstacle to transforming the country’s energy sector.

They argued that although Nigeria has developed several energy policies over the years, poor execution, regulatory uncertainty and inadequate investment have continued to undermine efforts to guarantee reliable electricity supply, expand gas infrastructure and promote renewable energy.

The stakeholders spoke yesterday at the Fourth Dr Diran Fawibe Annual Lecture organised by the International Energy Services Limited (IESL) in conjunction with the Centre for Petroleum, Energy Economics and Law (CPEEL) and the University of Ibadan.

Speaking on the theme: ‘Public-Private Energy Shift: Innovation, Investment, Implementation’, they maintained that Nigeria’s aspiration to build a resilient, competitive and sustainable energy industry can only be achieved through coordinated action among government, industry and academia.

Group Chairman of IESL and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of CPEEL, Dr Diran Fawibe, described energy security as critical to industrialisation, economic growth, healthcare, education, employment generation and national competitiveness.

He urged policymakers, industry leaders, universities and young professionals to move beyond policy conversations to practical implementation, stressing that innovation without investment remains an idea, while investment without implementation is merely a promise.

“The future of our energy sector will increasingly be determined not by the volume of resources beneath our soil alone, but by our ability to transform those resources into reliable, affordable, sustainable and accessible energy,” Fawibe said.

He advocated stable regulatory frameworks, increased investment in research and innovation, curriculum reforms in universities, expanded professional training and stronger public-private partnerships to unlock investment in electricity, gas infrastructure and renewable energy.

Delivering the keynote address, Nabo Graham Douglas Distinguished Professor at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Prof. Yinka Omorogbe, SAN, said the ongoing public-private shift in Nigeria’s energy sector should not be interpreted as government abdicating its responsibilities.