Ex-Minister Ogah Calls for Pragmatic Reforms, Policy Consistency to Power Nigeria’s Energy Transition

• Urges risk mitigation and sustained collaboration for a resilient energy future

 

“Nigeria’s energy sector must embrace realism, consistency, and collaboration to navigate its transition toward a sustainable future”,

This was the central message from Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, President of Masters Energy Group and former Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, at the 2025 Annual Conference of the Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC) held in Lagos.

Speaking on the theme “Nigeria’s Energy Future: Optimising Opportunities and Addressing Risks for Sustainable Growth,” Dr. Ogah underscored the need for pragmatic reforms backed by unwavering policy implementation, describing energy transition as both a national opportunity and a test of leadership.

“Nigeria’s energy future is not a choice between opportunity and risk; it is a challenge to navigate both dynamics together,” Ogah said. “Success demands a multi-pronged strategy that leverages our strengths while confronting our vulnerabilities head-on.”

He acknowledged the transformative potential embedded in landmark legislations such as the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 and the Electricity Act 2023, stressing that their impact depends on “deliberate coordination between government and industry to turn reform into measurable progress.”

Citing a Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) report that places national power generation at less than 50 percent of installed capacity due to gas constraints and transmission bottlenecks, Ogah outlined three urgent imperatives:

• Ensuring reforms produce tangible outcomes.
• Maximising the value of Nigeria’s hydrocarbon assets before global demand plateaus.
• Expanding affordable power access for every citizen.

He reaffirmed that oil and gas remain the backbone of Nigeria’s economy, accounting for nearly 70 percent of export earnings and sustaining millions of livelihoods. However, he warned that chronic underinvestment, oil theft, and insecurity threaten the success of the PIA.

Describing natural gas as Nigeria’s “strategic bridge fuel,” Ogah highlighted the role of projects such as the Utorogu Gas Processing Facility in powering industries, enabling clean cooking, and positioning the nation as a future LNG powerhouse.

Yet, his message reached beyond hydrocarbons. Ogah urged Nigeria to seize the global clean energy momentum, warning that complacency could relegate the nation to the sidelines of innovation.

“We must not be consumers of the green economy; we must be creators within it,” he declared, calling on the government to exceed its 30 percent renewable energy target by 2030.

Dr. Ogah identified gas, renewables, and innovation as Nigeria’s three major growth frontiers, advocating for utility-scale solar farms, community-based mini-grids, and local solar manufacturing under a proposed Nigerian Solar Manufacturing Initiative. He also spotlighted blue hydrogen, biofuels, and critical mineral exploration as pathways to industrial diversification.

“From solar in Olorunsogo to blue hydrogen in the Delta,” he said, “every solution must serve both growth and sustainability.”

The business leader outlined the biggest risks to sectoral progress — policy inconsistency, infrastructure gaps, insecurity, and skills shortages — and proposed actionable reforms: a single-window licensing system, modernized grid infrastructure, and benefit-sharing frameworks to rebuild investor confidence and community trust.

“Policy certainty attracts capital; community trust protects it,” he noted.

On human capital, Ogah called for the establishment of a National Energy Transition Academy to equip Nigeria’s workforce for the emerging energy economy, cautioning against industrial unrest and citing the recent PENGASSAN-Dangote Refinery dispute as a warning signal.

In closing, Dr. Ogah described energy reform as a shared national project, urging alignment between government, industry, and the media to sustain momentum toward a cleaner, more inclusive energy future.

“By optimising today’s hydrocarbon assets and building tomorrow’s clean-energy ecosystem,” he concluded, “we can fuel sustainable growth for every Nigerian.”

At a time when the world’s energy map is being redrawn, Ogah’s message is both urgent and hopeful. It is a call to action for Nigeria to reform boldly, innovate responsibly, and lead courageously in shaping Africa’s energy destiny.