By Abbas Nazil
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s energy sector have intensified calls for strategic reforms aimed at enabling the effective integration of renewable energy into the national power grid.
This appeal was strongly made during the 9th anniversary of the Nextier Power Dialogue, themed “Pre-empting Resilience for Accelerated Renewable Energy Scaling,” which gathered policymakers, regulators, private sector operators, and energy experts.
Organised by The Electricity Hub with sponsorship from the African Climate Foundation (ACF), the dialogue explored Nigeria’s readiness to transition into renewable energy and highlighted the steps necessary for its success.
Busayo Omofe, a consultant with Nextier, described Nigeria’s grid as fragile and incapable of supporting large-scale renewable energy integration.
She stressed the urgent need for investment in infrastructure, technical upgrades, and capacity building to ensure sustainable adoption of clean energy.
Representing the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr. Yusuf Ali acknowledged the challenge of renewable energy variability and the inadequacy of current monitoring systems.
He emphasised that without a real-time Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, it will be difficult to manage fluctuating renewable energy sources.
Dr. Ali revealed that the World Bank-supported Delta Project is underway to modernise Nigeria’s grid infrastructure by 2026.
From the distribution sector, Engr. Emmanuel Ogwuche of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) pointed out that renewable energy remains costly compared to traditional sources.
He advocated for the establishment of Renewable Energy Zones, financial subsidies, and the promotion of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to make clean energy affordable and viable.
Engr. Moses Ezirim of JA Solar highlighted the need for battery storage systems, smart meters, and improved policy clarity to attract investments.
He urged state governments to simplify regulatory processes and support small-scale energy producers to enhance energy access in underserved communities.
Olayemi Arowolo, Policy Manager at Nextier, emphasised the role of data-driven planning and real-time monitoring in achieving renewable energy goals.
He called for stronger collaboration between government and industry players, stressing the importance of practical, data-informed policies backed by firm implementation.
The panel concluded the dialogue with key recommendations, including the deployment of SCADA systems for grid management, the creation of incentivised Renewable Energy Zones, the adoption of cost-reflective tariffs, energy storage deployment, and coordinated efforts among all stakeholders.
The event concluded with a unanimous message that Nigeria must act decisively and implement bold reforms to modernise its electricity grid and embrace renewable energy technologies.
With committed partnerships and the right policy framework, Nigeria has the potential to emerge as a leader in renewable energy across Africa.