Otti Cautions African Nations against Hurried Energy Transition

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia


Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has urged African nations to tread with caution in accepting foreign-imposed timeline for transition to new energy.

He sounded the note of warning in Umuahia in his address at the opening ceremony of the ongoing National Stakeholders’ Retreat and Board Meeting of the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative(NEITI).

“The global shift to cleaner energy is real, but Africa must not be stampeded into transitions dictated by more developed nations. We must craft solutions based on our realities and development needs,” Otti stated.

He said that while plotting its own path to energy transition, Nigeria and the rest of Africa “must not remain fixated on commodities of declining global value (hence) the time to think beyond oil is now.”

The Abia governor noted that Nigeria remains a blessed rich nation by virtue of its abundant natural resources, even though the resources may not have been “responsibly harnessed and the proceeds fairly distributed across relevant social and economic areas of need.”

He said that the mistakes of the past notwithstanding, there is every cause to believe that things would eventually get better

“Many commentators may be pessimistic about the future in view of the poor judgment of yesteryears but I have an unyielding faith in our capacity to turn things around and set new standards for development and prosperity,” Otti stated.

He said that with agencies like NEITI, Nigeria would overcome its drawbacks to economic development, adding that NEITI “has emerged as one of the key institutions of government working to set Nigeria on a new pedestal.”

Otti expressed his delight with NEITI for its pioneering works and the “litany of transformative initiatives it has put in place to promote a system of transparent reporting and accounting of the revenue streams and general body of activities within the nation’s extractive industry.”

He called on NEITI to establish a fair compensation model and deepen its collaboration with sub-national governments and host communities to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

Otti noted that Abia is blessed with a rich supply of natural resources and has therefore already adopted a strategic approach in managing its natural resources.

“We believe that the extractive industry holds immense potential for expanding the frontiers of opportunities for investments, job creation and widespread economic prosperity for our people,” he said.

With this mindset, Otti noted that Abia has since set up an investment vehicle called ABTAN Energy Limited, a joint venture that has the Abia State Government, Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) and a consortium of private investors as partners.

He explained that ABTAN has been set up “to drive investments in the State’s oil and gas assets in the most responsible way, ensuring that today’s activities do not present a threat to the aspirations of those coming after us.

According to him, “ABTAN’s protocol shall integrate NEITI’s reporting framework to guarantee that no stakeholder group, especially the host community, is left behind.”

In his remarks, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of NEITI’s National Stakeholders Working Group, Senator George Akume, highlighted the FG’s commitment to an inclusive energy transition.

He said that the transition to new energy which is anchored on the National Energy Transition Policy aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060.

The SGF acknowledged the growing pressure on the extractive sector to adapt to global climate priorities, saying that the retreat served as a timely policy forum.

He urged all tiers of government to contribute to a just and inclusive transition, especially by empowering local communities and investing in clean energy alternatives.

Senator Akume reaffirmed NEITI’s commitment to institutional reforms, data-driven policymaking, and improved transparency and accountability in resource governance.

NEITI’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, described the retreat as a “working session” taking place at a “moment of profound global transformation.”

He pointed out that it was the first NEITI retreat held East of the Niger River, thereby  underlining its significance, which included discussion of Nigeria’s extractive industry reforms.

Orji further stated that the forum would evolve strategies for navigating the global energy transition through collaborative policy discussions, institutional frameworks, and public-private partnerships.