CAPTION:L-R: Dr. Blessing Ayemhere ( Secretary, HBSAN)
Dr. Mayowa Afe(General Secretary, HBSAN & Conference Chair)
Mr. Niyi Omojola (Vice President, HBSAN)
Mr. Patrick Iyamabo (Financial Secretary, HBSAN)
Mrs Nkoyo Ugbe (HBSAN Representative & Sub-committee Chair, Communications)
Mr. Babalola Adefarati (HBSAN Representative & Sub-committee Chair, Programs)

The Harvard Business School Association of Nigeria (HBSAN) has called for greater integration of Nigeria’s oil, gas and power sectors, saying fragmented policies and weak coordination are limiting the country’s ability to turn its energy resources into economic growth.
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The association said an integrated energy system would provide businesses with cheaper and more consistent power, improve investment certainty and support industrial development.
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‎Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos ahead of the association’s oil and gas event, themed “One Energy System: Integrating Oil, Gas and Power for National Transformation,” HBSAN Vice President, Niyi Omojola, said Nigeria had developed its individual energy sectors but needed to move beyond operating them in silos.
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Omojola said the conference would examine the policy, regulatory, operational, infrastructure and financing challenges that must be addressed to achieve greater integration, with a white paper to be produced for government implementation.
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He said a manufacturer currently relying on diesel had to contend with high and volatile operating costs, while greater access to domestic gas could provide a cleaner and more consistent power source.
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”If we can create clarity around the cost of power to people, whether it’s self-generated as redundancy or ultimately grid power, if there’s clarity around price and around consistency,” he said, there would be greater investment.
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Omojola said consistency in the cost of power and gas supply could create a cycle of lower costs, increased production and demand, leading to more investment, employment and economic growth.
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HBSAN Programme Committee Chairman, Dr Blessing Ayemhere, said the high cost of power is undermining industrial competitiveness, despite Nigeria’s abundant gas resources.

‎“There’s no way we can grow as a nation if we don’t solve the power problem,” he said, adding that industrial growth and expansion depended heavily on power.
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‎HBSAN General Secretary, Dr Mayowa Afe, said Nigeria’s energy challenge was not a lack of resources but the failure to convert them into broader prosperity.
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‎“We have gas in Nigeria, but we don’t have light. We must be able to see how we can turn these resources to prosperity for Nigerians,” he said.
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‎Ayemhere said Nigeria had introduced several policies and regulations covering the energy sector, including measures under the Petroleum Industry Act, but the major gap was implementation.
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‎“Policies are not our problem. Laws and regulations are not our problem. Implementation, that is where we have gaps,” he said.
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‎He said Nigeria had also seen improvements in indigenous participation, crude oil production and relations between operators and host communities, but argued that the gains remained scattered and needed to be brought together through greater coordination.
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‎The conference is scheduled for October 9 at Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, and will bring together policymakers, regulators, financiers, investors and industry leaders to develop practical recommendations on governance, infrastructure, financing and efficiency across the energy sector.