Nigeria energy transition stakeholders demand inclusion and social justice

Stakeholders in Nigeria are advocating for greater inclusion, transparency, and social justice within the nation’s energy transition. At the Women’s International Green Summit and Exhibition 2026, representatives from the Women in Renewable Energy Association (WIRE-A) emphasized the need to address energy poverty, noting that women are disproportionately affected by energy challenges. Speakers called for expanding renewable energy solutions, such as solar power, to rural clinics, schools, and women-led businesses to improve livelihoods.

Simultaneously, civil society organizations in Port Harcourt have demanded increased community ownership and energy democracy. During a workshop organized by Environmental Rights Action (ERA) Nigeria and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Nigeria, advocates argued that Nigeria’s transition must be people-oriented. They expressed concern that decades of fossil fuel extraction in the Niger Delta have not resulted in sustainable development for local communities and urged the federal government to promote energy sovereignty, ensuring that communities have a voice in how energy resources are managed and distributed.