Nigeria Champions Electrification of 300 Million Africans By 2030

Juliet Akoje in Abuja

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has announced that Nigeria is taking a leadership role in electrifying the African continent, with a goal to provide power to 300 million Africans by 2030.

Abbas made this statement during the First Legislative Conference and Expo on Renewable Energy, hosted by the House Committee on Renewable Energy in collaboration with the UNDP in Lagos.

He praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving a $1 billion investment for the Rural Electrification Agency in December 2024 of which $750 million is dedicated to expanding solar access through 124 mini-grids and 25,000 solar home systems, benefiting over 200,000 Nigerians.

Abbas emphasized Nigeria’s participation in the Mission 300 Initiative – a collaboration with the World Bank and African Development Bank as a testament to its dedication to clean and inclusive energy access.

He urged cohesive action from all sectors: legislators to develop solid legal frameworks, the executive to act with urgency, the private sector to innovate and invest, and civil society to drive awareness and accountability.

He reaffirmed the House’s commitment to clean energy, citing the formation of a Standing Committee on Renewable Energy and strategic legislative steps like removing VAT on renewable energy components and compressed natural gas (CNG) technologies.

He also highlighted efforts to provide legal backing for Nigeria’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy (REEEP) of 2015.

Citing international energy trends, Abbas stressed the urgency of a clean energy transition.

“In 2024, over 92% of new global power capacity came from renewables, bringing total global capacity to over 4,448 GW. In 2023 alone, $1.7 trillion of the $2.8 trillion invested in energy went into renewables, efficiency, and electric mobility.”

He pointed to global legislative models from Egypt, Germany, and the EU as examples African parliaments should follow, while commending Nigeria’s Electricity Act of 2023, which decentralized energy governance and boosted local and private sector roles.

Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, Chair of the Renewable Energy Committee, echoed the call for urgency, warning that Nigeria’s dependence on fossil fuels has hampered economic growth.

He stressed the need for energy diversification and legislative mandates for government agencies to adopt renewable sources.

Ogene also revealed investigations into past renewable energy investments to promote transparency.

He argued that the energy transition could drive youth employment and skill development, with every solar project representing economic opportunity.

Representing Ghana, First Deputy Speaker, Hon. Bernard Ahiafor, praised Nigeria’s initiative and called on African legislators to lead the clean energy movement.

He highlighted Ghana’s own progress, including large-scale solar projects, net metering, and green financing.

Despite Africa’s significant solar potential, he lamented that over 600 million Africans remain without electricity.

Ahiafor emphasized the importance of cross-border cooperation and robust legal frameworks, referencing Ghana’s Renewable Energy Act and commitments to international climate agreements like the Paris Accord.

UNDP’s Resident Representative, Ms. Elsie Atafuah while stressing the high cost of inaction noted that nations mastering the green economy would dominate future geopolitics and urged Nigeria to take bold, strategic actions.

She affirmed the UNDP’s support in designing policies, providing technical and financial support, and building partnerships to support Nigeria’s energy transition.

She called the moment a turning point in Nigeria’s development, where energy is pivotal to national security, economic competitiveness, and global relevance.

However, Speaker Abbas urged stakeholders to use the conference to generate actionable outcomes, from legislation to investments, ensuring the momentum leads to lasting impact and real change across Africa.