Decarbonization should drive economic strategy, industrial growth — REA

The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Dr Abba Aliyu, has declared that Nigeria’s decarbonization drive must transcend narrow emission targets and serve as a broader economic strategy to unlock national competitiveness, energy security, and industrial growth.

Represented by the REA Executive Director of Corporate Services, Gboyega Ayoade, at the Oriental News Nigeria 2026 Conference in Lagos on Thursday, Aliyu emphasized that effective climate action requires an integrated regulatory blueprint linking energy, finance, industry, and investment.

Delivering his address on “Driving Nigeria’s Decarbonisation through Strategic Promotion of Clean Energy — The REA Experience,” the REA boss stressed that sustainable transition policies must align with Nigeria’s economic realities.

“For Nigeria, decarbonisation cannot be reduced to a narrow conversation about emissions alone.”

“It must be a conversation about competitiveness, industrial renewal, energy security, climate resilience, financing, technology, and inclusive growth. It must recognise the structure of our economy, the role of oil and gas, the urgency of expanding electricity access, and the need to position clean energy as a catalyst for national development,” Aliyu said.

He noted that achieving these objectives demands a coordinated regulatory architecture.
He added that while the government provides policy direction, financial institutions and private investors must innovate and de-risk priority markets.

Echoing the call for structural reform, former Minister of Information and Culture and Chairman of Portland Gas Limited, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, delivered the keynote address on “Carbon Capture: Accelerating Decarbonisation Initiatives in Nigeria’s Extractive Industry Through Broad Regulatory Reforms.”

Mohammed asserted that regulatory certainty, transparent policy frameworks, and competitive fiscal incentives are indispensable to unlocking billions of dollars in private capital needed to deepen gas utilization and reposition Nigeria globally.

He highlighted financing as a major bottleneck to scaling clean energy across Africa, advocating for innovative financing mechanisms such as green bonds, carbon markets, and blended finance frameworks to reduce investment risks and meet Net Zero commitments.