Energy for Value, Not Just Volts: Build Markets, Not Just Megawatts.... Experts Tell Nigerians

..... As Stakeholders say universal access must drive jobs, local manufacturing, and indigenous innovation.

With the current administration in Nigeria pushing for universal energy access and a cleaner future, stakeholders are shifting the conversation: the goal isn’t just more megawatts, but more value per watt.

At a recent energy access forum, The Power Dialogue, organised by The Electricity Hub in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme Nigeria, participants agreed that Nigeria's success will be measured not by how much electricity it generates, but by how much wealth, jobs, and innovation that power creates. 

“Energy is the engine, but value creation is the destination,” one participant noted. The consensus: without deliberate effort to build local markets, the country risks importing both its power solutions and its prosperity.

To get there, the forum called for coordinated action across government, industry, academia, development partners, and civil society. The five-point roadmap includes:

1. Local manufacturing: Back homegrown production of solar panels, batteries, meters, and components to cut import dependence and keep capital in Nigeria.

2. Workforce development: Scale up training for technicians, engineers, and installers so Nigerians design, build, and maintain the systems.

3. Access to finance: Unlock affordable capital for startups, SMEs, and households to buy, build, and deploy energy solutions.

4. Technology transfer: Negotiate partnerships that move beyond hardware imports to real knowledge transfer and R&D.

5. Market creation: Use policy, procurement, and standards to create guaranteed demand for indigenous solutions.

The message was clear: universal access without local value means missed opportunities. With the right mix of policy, investment, and innovation, Nigeria’s energy transition can become an economic transition too — one that expands opportunities and puts Nigerians at the center of the clean energy supply chain.

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