The Federal Government says it is committed to creating an enabling environment for the effective utilisation of Nigeria’s abundant low-carbon hydrogen energy resources as part of its energy diversification agenda.
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udey, stated this on Tuesday in Abuja at the opening of a three-day Low-Carbon Hydrogen Economy Summit aimed at accelerating Nigeria’s transition to clean energy.
The summit was organised by the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) in collaboration with the European Union (EU).
Udey, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Mukhtar Muhammad, said Nigeria’s emerging hydrogen strategy is a key component of its broader clean energy transition plan.
He disclosed that a national hydrogen policy draft is at an advanced stage and would soon become operational.
According to him, the government is committed to ensuring regulatory clarity that will not hinder economic diversification or innovation in the energy sector.
He noted that while Nigeria welcomes technical support from international partners such as Germany and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), regulatory processes and licensing remain the responsibility of domestic institutions.
“Our partners have offered Nigeria a door; they have not offered to walk through it on our behalf,” he said.
“A decade from now, when other nations are developing fleets of hydrogen-powered vehicles on their roads, will you be able to account for what you did?”
The Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, said the global hydrogen market is projected to reach $50 billion in the coming decades.
He said Nigeria could leverage its estimated 209 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves to produce blue hydrogen as a transitional pathway toward cleaner energy systems.
According to him, Nigeria should position itself as a hydrogen hub capable not only of domestic utilisation but also export to other African countries.
Representing the European Union Delegation, Programme Manager for Energy, Mr Godfrey Ogbemudia, said clean hydrogen presents significant opportunities for Nigeria to meet its net-zero targets.
He stressed the need for investment-driven outcomes from ongoing capacity-building efforts.
The Statistician-General of the Federation, Mr Semiu Adeniran, said low-carbon hydrogen offers major potential for decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors such as manufacturing and transport.
Represented by Kazeem Fatai of the National Bureau of Statistics, he cautioned that successful implementation would depend on robust, evidence-based data systems.
He said accurate data would be needed to track energy flows, infrastructure development, green jobs, and industrial processes.
Executive Director of the Community Research and Development Centre, Etiosa Uyigue, said the EU-funded initiative is supporting key agencies including the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency and the Rural Electrification Agency through capacity building and data systems strengthening.
