Nigeria Ex-Minister Calls for Regulatory Certainty and Clean Energy Financing to Unlock Energy Investments

energyfocusreport.com

by grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 points

Former Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, told the Oriental News Nigeria 2026 Conference that regulatory certainty, transparent policies, and competitive fiscal incentives are essential to attract investment for transforming the country's energy sector. He stressed that decarbonization is now an immediate priority and that carbon capture, cleaner fuels, and enabling reforms are central to meeting climate goals. Mohammed identified financing as a major barrier to scaling clean energy infrastructure across Africa, calling for innovative models like blended finance, green bonds, and carbon markets to reduce project risks and boost private sector participation. Sahara Group's Managing Director Kola Adeshina added that carbon capture needs clear rules on carbon ownership, storage rights, and liability to move from policy to projects. Lagos Business School Professor Silk Ogbu warned that climate impacts are already being felt in Nigeria and that the country must proactively shape emerging reforms. He noted that green ambition without investment remains just an idea, and that deliberate, measurable action is needed to manage environmental risks.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

The article makes a solid case for regulatory certainty being the real bottleneck in Nigeria. Without clear rules on carbon ownership and storage rights, even the best financing models won't move projects forward.

eco_tracker_99·3 months ago·1 pts

Interesting that they're pushing carbon capture as a practical tool for Nigeria. The geology may be promising but the article is right: confidence in the rules and data is what actually gets projects built.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

The financing gap is real but I'd like to see more specifics on what 'blended finance' actually looks like for Nigerian gas projects. Green bonds are nice in theory but the risk premium there is still high.

news_wire_22·3 months ago·1 pts

Key takeaway for me is that decarbonization is no longer a distant ambition in Nigeria. The National Assembly is already drafting laws and regulators are working on frameworks. The question is execution speed.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

The professor's point about the atmosphere never sending an invoice is spot on. That's the core challenge: pricing externalities after decades of free emissions. Carbon markets could help but only if the accounting is credible.