Nigeria has formalised a new partnership with the International Energy Agency (IEA) through a Joint Work Programme aimed at improving energy data, policy development and investment across the value chain to support economic growth and strengthen energy security.
Nigeria and the IEA signed the agreement in Abuja, marking the formal commencement of the partnership and reinforcing the country’s relationship with the Paris-based energy organisation.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu at the signing on Thursday, described Nigeria’s formal admission into the IEA as an association country as a major milestone and a reflection of the administration’s economic reforms.
Shettima said the partnership would help Nigeria maximise its abundant energy resources while strengthening its contribution to global discussions on energy security, affordability, sustainability and economic development.
“Nigeria’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,” said Shettima in a statement by media aide, Stanley Nkwocha.
He said Nigeria’s energy potential and resources position the country to benefit significantly from the partnership.
He added that given Nigeria’s potential, “the country will benefit from IEA’s institutional knowledge, the intellectual resources, the reach and expertise to support our nation’s ambitions in this sector.”
The Vice President also highlighted Nigeria’s substantial renewable energy potential and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to using the country’s available resources to drive economic transformation.
Shettima assured the IEA delegation that the Tinubu administration would continue working with stakeholders and international partners to contribute to discussions around a fair and just global energy transition.
The IEA delegation was led by its Executive Director, Fatih Birol, who explained that the agency works across a broad range of energy and technology areas, including oil, gas, solar power, nuclear energy, artificial intelligence and electric vehicles.
Birol said the organisation works with hundreds of leading energy experts worldwide to provide policy advice, share data and offer technical expertise to member and partner countries.
He noted that joining the IEA family requires extensive discussions, assessments and consultations before approval.
According to Birol, following detailed discussions with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, the IEA governing board, comprising governments including the United States, Japan, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, unanimously approved Nigeria’s admission.
“The IEA will accompany the Nigerian energy sector for the next few years to come for a much better energy future. We will provide policy advice from clean cooking to gas markets, from gas markets to training Nigerian experts at the IEA on our own,” he was quoted as saying.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) said Nigeria’s admission into the IEA was linked to the performance of the Tinubu administration and the reforms implemented under its economic agenda.
He explained that the Joint Work Programme would facilitate greater involvement of IEA technical experts in developing data to guide energy policy and investment decisions across the value chain.
The initiative is expected to support Nigeria’s broader objectives of promoting economic growth and improving energy security.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanoaiye, described the partnership between Nigeria and the IEA as strategically significant.
He also acknowledged the role played by Nigeria’s diplomatic mission in Paris in helping to facilitate the country’s relationship with the organisation.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Mustapha Abdullahi, said the Commission had previously collaborated with the IEA, including through the joint sponsorship of Nigeria’s most recent National Energy Master Plan.
However, he noted that the relationship had not previously been backed by a formal structure.
Abdullahi expressed optimism that Nigeria’s formal association with the IEA and the signing of the Joint Work Programme would provide a stronger framework for cooperation and further deepen the Energy Commission’s engagement with the organisation.
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