By Eshioromeh Sebastian
Nigeria has formally secured admission into the International Energy Agency (IEA) as an Association Country, marking a significant milestone for the nation’s energy sector and a validation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms.
The formal commencement of the partnership was signaled on Thursday with the signing of an agreement for a Joint Work Programme between Nigeria and the IEA, aimed at strengthening strategic collaboration in the development of data for energy policy and investment across the value chain for economic growth and energy security.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Tinubu at the signing ceremony, described Nigeria’s admission into the Paris-based organisation as a testament to the gains of the administration’s economic reforms and a reflection of the country’s strategic importance in the global energy landscape.
Shettima noted that Nigeria’s formal entry into the IEA fold justifies the administration’s policy choices and efforts aimed at leveraging the country’s abundant energy resources scattered across the nation.
“Nigeria’s admission as an association country with the IEA is a significant milestone for our country and it reflects Nigeria’s strategic importance in the global energy landscape and the confidence that IEA has placed in our commitment to constructive international energy cooperation,” the Vice President stated.
He added that given Nigeria’s potential, the country would benefit from IEA’s institutional knowledge, intellectual resources, reach and expertise to support the nation’s ambitions in the energy sector.
Shettima acknowledged Nigeria’s abundant renewable energy resources and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to repositioning the economy leveraging available resources, which are already manifesting across different sectors.
He assured the IEA team of the administration’s continued commitment to partner with other stakeholders within the setting to contribute to the global energy debate on a fair and just energy transition.
Earlier, leader of the IEA delegation, Dr. Fatih Birol, explained that the IEA is an organisation of governments covering all technological fields, including oil, gas, solar, nuclear power, artificial intelligence and electric cars, based in Paris.
Birol noted that becoming a member of the IEA family is not an easy task, as it requires a lot of considerations and tests. He disclosed that after detailed discussions with the Minister of State for Petroleum and Gas, Mr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, the Board comprising the governments of the United States, Japan, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom voted and accepted Nigeria unanimously as a member.
“The IEA will accompany the Nigerian energy sector for the next few years to come for a much better energy future. We will provide policy advice from clean cooking to gas markets, from gas markets to training Nigerian experts at the IEA on our own,” Birol assured.
The Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Mr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, stressed that Nigeria’s admittance into the IEA was based on the performance of the Tinubu administration reflected in the reforms undertaken in the economy. He noted that the signing of the Joint Work Programme portends the involvement of the IEA technical team with Nigeria in the development of data for energy policy and investment across the value chain, targeted for economic growth and energy security.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanoaiye, described IEA’s partnership with Nigeria as strategically important, noting that the Nigerian Mission in Paris played a critical role in ensuring its success.
He pledged the commitment of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, towards the process, stating that the Ministry’s role is to ensure that whatever government does at home is projected effectively in advancing and promoting the interest of Nigeria.
“We take this as a critical component of our national interest and we will not fail in ensuring that we assist, as facilitators and coordinators, in ensuring that the maximum benefit of this endeavor is derived for the benefit of the Nigerian people,” Enikanoaiye said.
The Director General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, expressed optimism that Nigeria’s formal joining of the IEA and the agreement would strengthen the Commission’s relationship with the organisation, noting that the Commission’s previous relationship with IEA had led to the joint sponsorship of Nigeria’s last National Energy Master Plan, even though there was no structure to their relationship at the time.
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