Adesina To Lead Policy Talks On Oil Sector Decarbonisation At Lagos Summit

As Nigeria accelerates its transition agenda toward net-zero emissions by 2060, energy policy discourse is set to take centre stage as the managing director of Shara Group and Board chairman of Ikeja Electric, Kola Adeshina is billed to lead high-level conversations on decarbonisation of the country’s extractive sector.

Adesina, is expected to headline the 2026 Oriental News National Conference with the theme, “Carbon Capture: Accelerating Decarbonisation Initiatives in Nigeria’s Extractive Industry Through Broad Regulatory Reforms.” The summit is coming at a critical moment as the federal government intensifies legislative and policy efforts to institutionalise climate action frameworks across key sectors.

At the centre of ongoing reforms is the proposed National Decarbonisation Bill before the National Assembly, designed to provide a comprehensive legal backbone for Nigeria’s climate commitments, building on the Climate Change Act 2021. In parallel, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has already rolled out its Decarbonisation Blueprint and Handbook for upstream operators, signalling tighter regulatory expectations for emissions management.

Adesina is expected to bring industry perspective to the debate, particularly on the economics of transition, emissions reduction strategies, and private-sector-led climate investments. Sahara Group’s ongoing energy transition roadmap—anchored on cleaner fuel mix expansion, operational efficiency, and nature-based solutions—has increasingly positioned the firm as a key player in Africa’s evolving energy landscape.

A sub-theme of the conference will interrogate “Addressing Finance Challenges, Investment Strategies, Operational Sustainability, and Climate Change Management,” reflecting growing concerns around the financing gap hindering large-scale decarbonisation in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

Stakeholders drawn from government, regulators, financial institutions, oil and gas operators, and manufacturing sectors are expected to deliberate on Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan (ETP), with focus on gas flaring reduction, renewable energy expansion, and cleaner industrial processes.

Speaking ahead of the summit, Convener and Publisher of Oriental News Nigeria, Yemisi Izuora, said the conference remains a critical bridge between policy formulation and industry execution.

“Every year, Oriental News Nigeria creates a platform for critical stakeholders in the energy, finance, and industrial sectors to discuss regulatory issues and investment opportunities. Our goal is to support both private and public sector initiatives that drive economic growth and sustainable development,” she said.

Now in its fifth edition, the 2026 summit is expected to deepen conversations around emerging technologies such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), low-carbon hydrogen, digital energy systems, and alternative fuels, while also assessing global oil and gas decarbonisation trends and their implications for Nigeria.