Engineers advocate collaboration to drive Nigeria’s energy transition

The Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh.

The Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers has called for stronger collaboration among government, industry and engineering professionals to accelerate Nigeria’s energy transition, improve electricity supply and promote sustainable industrial growth.

NIEEE made the call at its 22nd International Conference and Exhibition on Power and Telecommunications in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Enoh, said reliable electricity and modern technology were essential to Nigeria’s industrial development.

He said, “Factories do not run on policy alone; they run on uninterrupted energy, efficient technology and synchronised value chains.

Enoh, who was represented by the Zonal Coordinator of the Industrial Inspectorate Department, Itoro Johnson, said the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment was implementing the Nigeria Industrial Policy 2025 to strengthen local manufacturing, improve infrastructure and attract investment.

He disclosed that the policy’s initiatives had attracted more than $380million in strategic financing commitments for manufacturing and value-chain development.

The minister identified agro-processing, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles and light manufacturing as priority sectors.

He further said the government was also promoting dedicated power and gas infrastructure for industrial clusters and technical training in automation and other industrial skills.

In his keynote address, Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr Abdullahi Mustapha, represented by Dr Manaseh Shitta, acting Director for National Energy Efficiency at the University of Lagos, said digital technology had become central to the development of modern energy systems.

“Digital technology is no longer just a tool to optimise the energy transition. It is the fundamental architecture upon which the new energy economy must be built,” he said.

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Mustapha warned that the growing electricity demand from artificial intelligence, cloud computing and data centres could place additional pressure on Nigeria’s power grid.

He also identified cybersecurity threats, ageing electricity infrastructure and inadequate investment as major challenges to digital transformation.

“The energy transition is not merely a climate mandate; it is a digital design challenge and a call to action,” he said.

He urged engineers, energy companies and policymakers to work together to develop sustainable solutions.

Earlier, the President of NIEEE, Felix Adegboye, said the conference provided a platform for knowledge exchange, innovation and collaboration across the electrical, electronics, telecommunications, computing and energy sectors.

Adegboye said the flagship annual international conference continues to provide an important platform for knowledge exchange, innovation showcase, professional networking, and interdisciplinary collaboration across

Adegboye highlighted that around the world, energy systems are undergoing profound transformation, driven by the urgent need for sustainability, reliability, affordability, decarbonisation, and universal access.

“ICEPT 2026 has therefore been designed to stimulate meaningful conversations and practical outcomes,” Adegboye noted.

Highlights of the conference were the presentation of awards to deserving stakeholders and the launch of the NICEE Journal