Business
Barth Nnaji urges Nigeria to prioritize energy security over climate zealotry
Prof. Barth Nnaji, former Minister of Power and founder/CEO of Geometric Power Limited, has urged the Nigerian government to rethink its approach to climate change by prioritizing energy security and economic growth over what he termed “climate idealism.”
Speaking at the 2025 Bullion Lecture titled “Architecting the Energy Sector for Nigeria’s $1-Trillion Economy Vision,” hosted by the Centre for Financial Journalism on Thursday at the Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nnaji highlighted the urgent need for a shift in policy.
He pointed out that no new power plants have been constructed in Nigeria for over a decade, a situation that poses a significant threat to the nation’s economic development and energy access. “For any country’s economy to keep growing, it must keep growing its energy stock year-on-year,” Nnaji emphasized, underscoring the critical link between energy infrastructure and economic prosperity. His remarks call for immediate action to revitalize Nigeria’s energy sector in the pursuit of sustainable economic growth.
Highlighting the global energy landscape, the speaker cited the United States’ energy mix as a realistic benchmark. “After nearly 30 years of climate action, the U.S. still sources 60% of its electricity from fossil fuels, including 43% from natural gas,” he noted. This, he argued, shows that even climate leaders like the U.S. do not sacrifice energy security for environmental goals, a lesson Nigeria must take seriously.
He called for natural gas to be recognized as a “transition fuel” essential for Nigeria’s economic sustainability, pushing back against international pressure to rapidly phase it out. “This fuel is our energy ticket to sustainable economic development,” he declared, warning against classifying gas alongside other fossil fuels to be “extinguished immediately.”
In a strikingly controversial remark, the speaker criticized what he termed the “tree huggers” of the world, accusing developed nations of hypocrisy in climate policy. “They will abandon the ship of climate change initiatives once their own energy security is threatened,” he said, pointing to how countries like Germany and the UK turned back to coal during the Russia-Ukraine war energy crisis.
He advocated for a decentralized, private-sector-driven approach to energy infrastructure, encouraging state governments to partner with private firms to implement models like the Aba Integrated Power Project. “Let them say, ‘this is my altruistic gift to my people,’” he urged, adding that corruption must be ring-fenced out of power sector investments.
The speech also addressed the future of electric vehicles in Nigeria, cautioning that their rollout would be impractical without drastic improvements in electricity availability and recharging infrastructure. “You can’t electrify transport in a country that doesn’t have power for its homes,” he said.
He warned that Nigeria must not allow international narratives to override its own national interest. “A nation’s energy security strategy cannot be dictated by the latest buzzword,” he said. “We should stop being a country that imports what we have full capacity to produce.”
Similarly, Mrs. Tolulope Longe, National President of Women in Energy, Oil and Gas, and Chairperson of the event, emphasized that “Architecting the Energy Sector for Nigeria’s $1-Trillion Economy Vision” is not just a lofty ambition but a national imperative.
She reiterated that the energy sector, in all its complexity and promise, sits at the very heart of this vision.
However, she expressed her concerns that without prioritizing the right initiatives, achieving greatness would be challenging. “Let’s be clear: Nigeria cannot build a $1-trillion economy on a $4-per-day energy supply. We cannot industrialize epileptic power, nor can we digitize on diesel generators. And we certainly cannot compete globally with infrastructure gaps, policy disconnects, and under-leveraged capital in our energy ecosystem,” she stated.
She highlighted Nigeria’s potential to transition “from barrels to brains,” moving from gas flaring to gas monetization, and from extractive dependency to energy-led development. “We need to aggressively decentralize energy. Mini-grids, embedded generation, and renewable hybrids must be mainstreamed to reach unserved and underserved communities. The grid of the future must be smart, scalable, and sovereign — not colonial relics patched with promises.”
“Let gas work for Nigeria. From powering industries to fueling transport and creating clean cooking markets, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) must be repositioned not just as transition fuels, but as economic multipliers. This is Nigeria’s decade of gas — but only if we move from slogans to pipelines,” she advocated.
Mrs. Longe stressed the need for harmonizing policies, fast-tracking regulatory reform, and de-risking investments. “It’s time to give investors what they crave: clarity, consistency, and commitment. Bureaucracy cannot be the bottleneck to billion-dollar deals.”
She urged a shift in perspective regarding women and youth, asserting that they should not be seen merely as beneficiaries but as co-architects of this new energy future. “Whether as clean energy entrepreneurs, engineers, or innovators, we must democratize access to opportunity,” she concluded.