Breaking News
Awujoola yusuf babatunde
Apr 30 2025
72
In an effort to design an integrated national framework for Nigeria's renewable energy sector, the House of Representatives Committee on Renewable Energy has announced plans to host a first-of-its-kind legislative conference on green energy policy and regulation.
The two-day event on May 5 and 6, 2025, will be hosted in Lagos and is being organized in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme.
Speaking during a press briefing session convened at the National Assembly in Abuja on Wednesday, Committee Chairman and member representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency of Anambra State, Afam Ogene, explained that the conference would have the lawmakers, regulators, international stakeholders, and private sector leaders converge to align the country's legislative trajectory in the energy transition.
The conference is considering bringing on board major stakeholders and industry players to discuss renewable energy legislation, energy transition, renewable energy finance, investment opportunities and issues, and outlining a national legislative framework for renewable energy," Ogene added.
He added that the recent developments in the changes in Nigeria's constitutional and legal frameworks had gained momentum, which now requires legislative harmonization at the federal and state levels.
The recent legislative developments on the energy industry in Nigeria reflect this growing momentum, thus compelling the convening of the 1st Edition of the Legislative Conference on Renewable Energy in Nigeria," he added.
Foremost among such reforms is the Fifth Alteration Bill 2022 (No.33), now enacted, which grants states legislative authority over the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity within areas under the cover of the national grid—an authority previously reserved for off-grid systems.
Ogene also quoted the Electricity Act 2023, which was enacted into law in February 2024, as game-changing legislation. "The Act permits states to license all electricity activities (generation, transmission, and distribution), including lawmaking, regulation, and policy-making across the entire power sector value chain," he added.
He stated that the upcoming National Integrated Electricity Policy, 2025, provides states a clearer direction to build their local electricity markets, with renewable energy—particularly solar-powered off-grid systems—playing an important role in powering inaccessible populations.
The objectives of the conference are to stimulate interaction between federal and state lawmakers, experts, and stakeholders; remove regulatory barriers; and develop an implementable legislative roadmap with definite reforms and incentives for investments.
"Encouraging dialogue among lawmakers, policymakers, and stakeholders on major legislative agendas, regulatory frameworks, and global best practices to spur the use of renewable energy in Nigeria," he said, is one of the convening's major priorities.
The other goals are "a coordinated platform for federal and state legislators to harmonize policy, remove regulatory bottlenecks, and coordinate efforts in leading Nigeria's renewable energy transition" and "an action roadmap by providing a clear, time-bound legislative action plan with prioritized reforms, investment incentives, and accountability mechanisms to drive renewable energy growth and grid modernization."
The gathering will also be international, with the representatives of the International Parliamentary Union and South African, Ghanaian, and Gambian parliamentarians participating.
"We also managed to get three parliaments from the African continent—South Africa, Ghana, and Gambia—showing the extent of outreach of the House Committee on Renewable Energy," Ogene added.
Expected outcomes of the conference include a roll call of policy and legislative reform recommendations, a clearer understanding of investment guidelines for the private and public actors, and more federal-state energy lawmakers' coordination.
Meanwhile, Ogene assured that the committee probe of past renewable energy investments, which started weeks back, would be reopened when the National Assembly reconvenes next week.
