The Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) has called for stricter implementation of energy efficiency policies and standards to reduce energy costs, improve productivity and strengthen Nigeria’s energy security.
The Director-General of ECN, Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at a two-day national workshop on energy efficiency and conservation.
The workshop was organized by the ECN in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The workshop was themed: “Acceleration of Energy Efficiency and Conservation in Nigeria: From Policy to Implementation, Regulation and Measurable Impact.”
Abdullahi said energy efficiency and conservation should be regarded as an additional source of energy because they do not require new generation capacity but focus on using available energy more efficiently.
He said stronger implementation of energy efficiency measures would help reduce energy consumption and costs while improving productivity across sectors.
Mr Olufunso Adeyemi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, said the ministry remained committed to collaborating with the ECN and other stakeholders to promote policies that support sustainable energy use.
Adeyemi, who was represented by Mr David Franklin, a Deputy Director in the ministry, said energy efficiency was essential to Nigeria’s economic development, environmental sustainability and national energy security.
“Energy efficiency is not mainly about consuming less energy. It is about using energy more intelligently and obtaining greater economic and social value for every unit of energy consumed,” he said.
“Energy efficiency is critical to Nigeria’s economic development, environmental sustainability and national energy security,” he added.
Mr Ishigame Keiji, Chief Representative, JICA Nigeria Office, said it had become imperative for countries such as Nigeria to strengthen their energy efficiency technologies and practices.
He said that population growth, urbanization, industrialization, and rising electricity demand made it necessary to adopt smarter, more efficient energy solutions.
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Keiji said Nigeria could draw lessons from Japan’s experience, where energy management systems, efficient technologies, standards and regulatory frameworks had been deployed to improve energy productivity.
He emphasized the importance of strengthening policies and regulatory frameworks to ensure that energy efficiency measures translated into measurable improvements across the economy.
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