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By Tracy Moses
Nigeria’s transition to cleaner energy sources could unlock significant opportunities for job creation, investment inflows and broader economic growth, the Africa Director of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), Wangari Muchiri, has said.
Muchiri made this known during a decarbonisation dialogue involving members of the Nigerian House of Representatives and other stakeholders, where discussions centred on practical strategies to reduce carbon emissions while positioning Nigeria to benefit from the emerging global low-carbon economy.
She noted that while key sectors of Nigeria’s economy, particularly oil and gas and agriculture, are currently carbon-intensive, the global shift toward cleaner energy systems presents a unique opportunity for the country to diversify its economy and attract new investments.
According to her, the ongoing global energy transition is creating new economic pathways for countries willing to align with climate-friendly policies and technologies.
“The decarbonisation agenda for Nigeria is really critical. Many sectors in Nigeria, including oil and gas and agriculture, are very carbon-heavy. But in today’s global economy, this presents a big opportunity for Nigeria to capitalise on the carbon economy, create jobs and bring new income into the sector,” Muchiri said.
She explained that engagements between lawmakers, industry players and development partners are intended to deepen conversations around decarbonisation and encourage coordinated action that would support Nigeria’s transition toward a cleaner and more sustainable energy system.
Muchiri further noted that Nigeria has already shown signs of commitment to the global climate agenda, pointing to statements made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at international climate forums, including the United Nations Climate Change Conference.
“I think one of the things we are seeing is that Nigeria is ready,” she stated.
The President has said on several occasions, including at COP last year, that Nigeria is prepared for a decarbonisation agenda. We are excited to see many partners ready to walk this journey with the country,” she said.
She called on development partners, investors and technical experts to strengthen support for Nigeria in areas such as financing, knowledge transfer and technical capacity building in order to accelerate the country’s clean energy transition.
According to Muchiri, decarbonisation remains a relatively new area for many developing economies, making awareness, knowledge-sharing and institutional capacity critical to fully harnessing the opportunities associated with the shift to low-carbon energy systems.
“Decarbonisation is still a new field, and not many people fully understand what it means for different sectors or how it can create jobs and opportunities in the Nigerian economy. That is why support, both technical and financial, is very important at this stage,” she added.
Drawing from her experience in Kenya, Muchiri said the clean energy transition has already begun to unlock new opportunities across several African countries and expressed optimism that Nigeria could achieve similar outcomes if it sustains the current momentum.
“I’m Kenyan, and I’ve seen the opportunities that decarbonisation has created in Kenya. The same potential exists for Nigeria. I believe this is the beginning of something very exciting for the Nigerian economy,” she said.
She also commended the policy direction of the current administration, noting that there is growing support for the decarbonisation agenda among government institutions, lawmakers and industry stakeholders.
Muchiri added that several major oil and gas companies operating in Nigeria are gradually aligning their operations with the global shift toward cleaner and more sustainable energy systems.
She expressed optimism that sustained collaboration between government, the private sector and international partners would enable Nigeria to fully harness the economic benefits of the global energy transition while contributing meaningfully to global climate goals.