The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Climate Technology and Operations, Prof. Olamide Fagbuji, has called for stronger investment, policy reforms and collaboration to accelerate renewable energy deployment, describing improved energy access as critical to Nigeria’s economic transformation and climate resilience.

Fagbuji made the call on Wednesday while delivering the keynote address at the Global Initiative for Food Security and Environmental Protection (GIFSEP) Solar Forum in Lagos, themed “Building Consensus for Nigeria’s Just Energy Transition: Improving Energy Access – The Role of Solar and Renewable Energy.”

He said climate change had evolved beyond an environmental issue into a major economic, social and security challenge.

“Climate change is no longer a distant environmental concern; it has become a defining economic, social and security challenge,” he said.

Citing extreme weather events across Europe and recurring flooding in Lagos, the presidential aide added that, “Climate resilience and energy resilience are now inseparable.”

According to him, the global clean energy transition presents Nigeria with an opportunity to expand electricity access, strengthen industrial competitiveness, create jobs, improve food security and position the country for growth in a low-carbon global economy.

Fagbuji noted that although Nigeria’s energy transition is guided by the Energy Transition Plan, the Climate Change Act and the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions, the nation’s immediate priority remains ending energy poverty while pursuing sustainable economic development.

“Our foremost challenge is to eradicate energy poverty while simultaneously pursuing sustainable economic growth,” he said.

He noted that nearly half of Nigerians still lack reliable electricity, forcing millions of households and businesses to depend on expensive diesel generators that increase production costs, weaken healthcare delivery, limit educational opportunities and discourage investment.

The presidential aide, however, said Nigeria possesses abundant renewable energy resources, with average solar irradiation of between five and seven kilowatt-hours per square metre daily across much of the country, providing enormous potential for solar energy development.

“The question is no longer whether renewable energy is technically feasible. The question is how quickly we can mobilise the right policies, investments, institutions and partnerships to translate this enormous potential into tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary Nigerians,” he said.

He urged stakeholders to focus on developing the entire renewable energy value chain, including research, innovation, manufacturing, financing, deployment, maintenance, recycling and skills development.

“Renewable energy must become an engine of industrial transformation rather than merely another imported technology,” he said.

Fagbuji described the Electricity Act 2023 as one of the Tinubu administration’s most significant reforms, saying the legislation decentralises electricity governance, empowers states to establish electricity markets and creates new opportunities for private sector participation and distributed renewable energy systems.

“The Electricity Act 2023 fundamentally restructures Nigeria’s electricity sector by decentralising electricity governance, empowering states to establish their own electricity markets and encouraging private sector participation,” he said.

According to him, the reform aligns with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda by supporting industrialisation, manufacturing competitiveness, digital transformation and inclusive economic growth.

He said flagship programmes such as the Nigeria Electrification Project and the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up Programme have attracted more than $1.3 billion in investment commitments for decentralised renewable energy.

Fagbuji disclosed that the Nigeria Electrification Project has impacted about 7.8 million Nigerians, while the DARES programme aims to deploy 465 megawatts of renewable energy, provide electricity to 3.24 million households, support about 236,986 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and benefit 17.5 million Nigerians.

He stressed that reliable energy remains the foundation of national productivity, noting that agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, education and the digital economy all depend on dependable electricity supply.

He argued that decentralised renewable energy solutions, including solar mini-grids and solar home systems, have demonstrated that electricity access cannot be achieved through grid expansion alone.

“The future of electricity access in Nigeria will not be achieved through grid expansion alone,” he said, adding that decentralised energy projects were already powering businesses, preserving agricultural produce, strengthening healthcare delivery and extending productive economic activities in underserved communities.

Fagbuji nevertheless warned that energy poverty remains a major obstacle to Nigeria’s socio-economic development.

“Energy poverty remains one of the greatest barriers to Nigeria’s socio-economic transformation,” he said.

He noted that between 70 and 80 per cent of Nigerian households still rely on firewood, charcoal and other traditional biomass for cooking, exposing millions of women and children to harmful household air pollution.

The presidential aide also linked energy access to food security, citing Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that Nigeria loses between 30 million and 40 million metric tonnes of food annually through post-harvest losses valued at between ₦3.5 trillion and ₦5 trillion.

“Energy security and food security are fundamentally interconnected. A nation cannot sustainably feed its population without reliable energy,” he said.

He added that investments in solar-powered irrigation, cold storage, agro-processing facilities and digital technologies could significantly reduce food losses, improve farmers’ incomes and strengthen climate resilience.

Fagbuji further called for renewable energy to be treated as an industrial strategy capable of driving local manufacturing, technology transfer and exports rather than merely serving as an environmental intervention.

“Renewable energy should not only be viewed as an environmental solution but as one of Nigeria’s greatest industrial opportunities,” he said.

He pointed to countries such as China, India and Vietnam as examples of economies that have built prosperity by manufacturing clean energy technologies.

“Countries such as China, India and Vietnam have demonstrated that long-term prosperity comes from manufacturing clean energy technologies, not simply consuming them. Nigeria must therefore position itself as a producer, assembler and exporter of renewable energy technologies through deliberate industrial policy,” he said.

The presidential aide urged the government to sustain policy reforms under the Electricity Act 2023, expand incentives for investors and introduce innovative financing mechanisms to unlock the billions of dollars required to achieve universal electricity access.

He also advocated investments in technical education, apprenticeships, engineering research and innovation to enable Nigerians to manufacture solar panels, batteries, inverters and other renewable energy technologies locally.

Highlighting the growing importance of battery storage, artificial intelligence and smart grid technologies, he called for increased investment in research and innovation to strengthen Nigeria’s clean energy ecosystem.

Fagbuji further recommended the adoption of circular economy policies, including extended producer responsibility frameworks for recycling solar panels, batteries and critical minerals to support local manufacturing while reducing environmental risks.

He concluded by urging stronger collaboration among government, academia, industry, development partners and civil society.

“Achieving a just energy transition requires strong collaboration between government, academia, industry, development partners and civil society,” he said.

He added, “This dialogue should catalyse practical partnerships, bold investments and innovative policies that move Nigeria from climate ambition to measurable climate action.”

Fagbuji expressed optimism that the deliberations at the forum would generate practical recommendations capable of expanding energy access, strengthening food security, promoting industrialisation and accelerating Nigeria’s transition to a resilient, technology-driven low-carbon economy.