The renewable energy and energy efficiency associations alliance REEA-A has called on all critical stakeholders within the Nigerian energy sector ecosystem to work together in repositioning the sector for growth to drive credible investments for national development.
President of the governing board of the association who also doubles as the conference planning committee chairman for the 2026 international conference of the association Engr. Ayodeji Dada made the call during his welcome address to officially kick-start the conference which opened in Lagos on Wednesday. Dada who spoke to the theme of this year’s conference, “Accelerating collective action and strategic partnerships for equitable clean energy access” said this year’s conference came at a critical moment for the global energy transition. He declared that across Africa and the developing world the conversation around energy is no longer about how much energy the continent produces but rather, about who have access to clean, affordable, and reliable energy. Ayodeji said the concern should also ensure that no community within the continent is left behind in the transition to cleaner energy which he said are combined concerns that informed the theme of this year’s conference which entered it’s 5th edition.
“The energy challenges confronting our societies are too complex for any single institution, sector or country to solve alone” he said.
While acknowledging that governments have a critical role to play in establishing policies and regulatory frameworks to give direction to reforms in the sector, the REEA-A president said the private sector must continue to innovate, invest and scale solutions as working partners in progress. The REEA-A president also called on financial institutions to develop instruments capable of addressing the realities and risks of emerging clean-energy markets, just as he also called on the academia, research institutions to generate knowledge and technologies that respond to local needs. Reemphasising his call for collaboration, Engr. Ayodeji Dada noted that the clean-energy transition must be a collective endeavour, recognising that partnerships are needed between governments and industry; between established companies and emerging innovators, between financiers and project developers and several other partnerships to achieve the visioned end results.
“Strategic partnerships should not merely bring people together-they should enable us to do together what none of us could achieve alone” he further emphasised.
Delivering his goodwill message, cluster coordinator, just transition and inclusion, GIZ Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Jochen Rudolph applauded the role of REEA-A in driving the conversation around clean energy in Nigeria.
“Upon resumption as the Cluster Coordinator for Just Transition and Inclusion, I was informed that the Alliance, since its establishment, has evolved into the leading umbrella platform for renewable energy and energy efficiency associations in Nigeria, providing the sector with a unified and credible voice for engaging with the government, financiers, and development partners” he declared.
While congratulating the Alliance on these milestones he commended all member associations for their sustained commitment. The cluster coordinator said NESP’s Contribution to the Alliance has played a significant role in the progress made in achieving the targets of Nigeria’s Vision 30:30:30 and the Energy Transition Plan.
In his concluding remarks Jochen Rudolph who acknowledged NESP investments in establishing mentorship and internship programmes, aimed at strengthening the capacities of young project developers, said the cluster remains committed to sustaining the support to ensure that capacity of beneficiaries is sustained, with the goal of creating employment opportunities and expanding access to sustainable energy across Nigeria.
“We appreciate all the Mentors and Mentees, as well as the companies who agreed to participate in these programmes.
None of these would be possible without the generous support of the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)”
The gathering brought together key stakeholders from across the energy sector value chain. Senior special adviser on energy matters represented the Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, while the commissioner for energy in Ondo State represented governor Aiyedatiwa at the conference.
