Nigeria and the International Energy Agency, IEA, have signed an agreement for a Joint Work Programme aimed at strengthening cooperation in the country’s energy sector and improving data development for policy and investment.
The programme will focus on strengthening energy data across the value chain to support economic growth, energy security and more effective investment decisions.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu at the signing ceremony, described Nigeria’s formal admission into the IEA as an association country as a significant milestone.
Shettima said the development was also evidence of the progress recorded through the economic reforms of the Tinubu administration and the government’s efforts to leverage Nigeria’s abundant energy resources.
Speaking during the ceremony, the Vice President commended the IEA for its role in shaping the global energy landscape and supporting countries in addressing challenges related to energy security, affordability, sustainability and economic development.
“The country’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,” Shettima said in a statement by his media aide, Stanley Nkwocha.
He said the country stood to benefit from the agency’s institutional knowledge, expertise and global reach as the country works towards achieving its energy and economic objectives.
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Shettima also highlighted Nigeria’s significant renewable energy potential, noting that the government remained committed to repositioning the economy by making better use of the country’s available resources.
He assured the IEA delegation that the Tinubu administration would continue to work with international partners and other stakeholders to contribute to the global energy conversation, particularly on achieving a fair and just energy transition.
Earlier, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said the agency works with governments across different energy and technology fields, including oil, gas, solar power, nuclear energy, artificial intelligence and electric vehicles.
Birol explained that the country’s admission followed extensive discussions and assessments, describing membership of the IEA as a process that requires careful consideration.
He said the IEA’s governing board, comprising governments including the United States, Japan, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, unanimously approved Nigeria’s admission following detailed engagements with Nigerian officials.
“The IEA will accompany the Nigerian energy sector for the next few years to come for a much better energy future,” Birol said, adding that the agency would provide policy advice and support in areas ranging from clean cooking and gas markets to training Nigerian experts.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the country’s admission reflected the progress achieved through the reforms of the Tinubu administration.
He said the Joint Work Programme would strengthen technical cooperation between Nigeria and the IEA, particularly in developing reliable energy data to guide policy, investment, economic growth and energy security across the value chain.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, described the partnership as strategically important to Nigeria, noting that the Nigerian Mission in Paris played a significant role in facilitating the country’s engagement with the IEA.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Energy Commission, Mustapha Abdullahi, said the Commission had previously worked with the IEA on Nigeria’s National Energy Master Plan despite the absence of a formal structure governing their relationship.
Abdullahi expressed optimism that the country’s formal association with the IEA and the new Joint Work Programme would further strengthen cooperation and create opportunities for deeper technical collaboration in the energy sector.
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