Nigeria’s Energy Future ‘Hangs in the Balance’, Experts Warn
Nigeria’s path to a sustainable energy future rests on making immediate, strategic power flexibility decisions, energy experts have said. At the recent Energy Transition Forum, organised by Finnish energy company Wärtsilä in Lagos and Abuja, stakeholders highlighted the critical role of “balancing power” in achieving the nation’s long-term energy ambitions.
Wale Yusuff, Managing Director of Wärtsilä Nigeria, underscored the importance of fuel-flexible power plants to support renewable energy projects. “Without ultra-responsive power capacities, it will be nearly impossible to integrate large-scale renewable energy into the grid while maintaining stability,” Yusuff said.
Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan (ETP) aims for net-zero emissions by 2060, relying heavily on renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. While cost-competitive and reliable, these sources are intermittent, requiring complementary technologies like engine power plants and energy storage systems to stabilise the grid.
Yusuff argued that a power mix comprising renewables, balancing power technologies, and sustainable fuels could deliver a fully renewable energy system within the next 36 years. He stressed the need for an actionable roadmap to build a resilient power system aligned with the country’s ambitious targets.
“Nigeria’s vast gas reserves and abundant solar and wind resources provide the fundamentals for a successful transition,” he said, describing domestic gas as a critical bridging fuel until green hydrogen and other sustainable alternatives become viable in the next decade.
Key participants, including Adedayo Olowoniyi, Chief Technical Advisor to the Minister of Power, and Sanna Selin, Finnish Ambassador to Nigeria, agreed that Nigeria must invest in ultra-flexible power solutions to meet short- and long-term goals.
The ETP, developed with support from the COP26 Energy Transition Council, identifies power, cooking, oil and gas, transport, and industry as priority sectors in the drive towards net-zero emissions. However, the estimated $1.9 trillion required to execute the plan presents a significant challenge.
“Within the next decade, Nigeria aims to achieve 7 gigawatts of grid-connected solar PV and 18GW of off-grid solar PV,” Yusuff noted. “This requires at least 2GW of flexible capacity to handle variability in renewable output and balance the grid.”
He called for urgent collaboration among stakeholders to ensure the word “balance” takes centre stage in Nigeria’s energy transition debate, warning that delays could jeopardise the country’s aspirations for a cost-effective, sustainable energy future.
