By Rasheeda Hamidu
Natural Justice Nigeria has called for stronger collaboration among communities, civil society organisations and the West African Power Pool (WAPP) to accelerate clean energy expansion and promote an inclusive energy transition across West Africa.
On Sunday, the organisation made the call during a two-day awareness and engagement workshop in Abuja themed “Building Dialogue among Communities, Civil Society Organisations and the West African Power Pool,” according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The Country Manager of Natural Justice Nigeria, Michael Karikpo, said the workshop was designed to strengthen collaboration with WAPP, deepen public participation and build trust in regional energy cooperation.
Karikpo said the initiative would also mobilise support for projects such as the Clean Energy Corridor and Mission 300 while improving the environmental and social legitimacy of regional energy infrastructure.
He said Nigeria was witnessing rapid consumer-driven adoption of solar energy and battery storage as households and institutions sought alternatives to unreliable grid electricity.
Quoting data from London-based energy think tank Ember, Karikpo said Nigeria had about 800 megawatts of installed solar capacity in 2025, while more than 1,700 megawatts of solar panels were imported from China in the first quarter of 2026.
Karikpo stated, “Consumers should not be discouraged by policy interventions but should be supported to continue making rational economic decisions that favour clean energy adoption.”
The Executive Director of the Electricity Consumer Protection Advocacy Centre, Princewill Okorie, said stronger engagement with communities and civil society organisations would improve public understanding of regional electricity initiatives and encourage greater ownership of clean energy projects.
NatureNews notes that inclusive governance and community participation are widely recognised as critical to ensuring that renewable energy projects deliver environmental, social and economic benefits while reducing conflicts during implementation.
NatureNews reports that stronger partnerships among governments, regional institutions, civil society organisations and local communities remain essential to expanding clean energy access and achieving a just energy transition across West Africa.
