Japan: Nigeria Must Embrace Energy Efficiency To Cut Costs, Boost Productivity

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has called on Nigeria to accelerate the adoption of energy-efficiency technologies across key sectors, saying the move is critical to reducing costs, boosting productivity and strengthening the country’s energy security.

The Chief Representative of JICA in Nigeria, Mr Ishigame Keiji, made the call yesterday in Abuja at a two-day national workshop on energy efficiency and conservation organised by JICA in collaboration with the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN).

The workshop was themed, “Accelerating Energy Efficiency and Conservation in Nigeria: From Policy to Implementation, Regulation and Measurable Impact.”

Keiji described energy efficiency as the “first fuel,” stressing that the cheapest unit of energy was the one that did not need to be produced.

He said adopting energy-efficient technologies in buildings, industry, transportation, and household appliances would help Nigeria reduce energy costs, improve productivity, and enhance energy security.

“By adopting energy efficiency technologies in buildings, industries, transportation and appliances, Nigeria can reduce energy costs, improve productivity and enhance energy security.

“Japan’s own development journey has shown that energy efficiency is a powerful driver of economic growth and industrial competitiveness,” he said.

According to him, JICA remained committed to supporting Nigeria’s efforts towards sustainable and inclusive energy development.

He expressed optimism that the workshop would produce a practical roadmap capable of guiding future investments and institutional collaboration in the sector.

Also speaking, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, represented by the Director, Technology Acquisition and Adaptation, Mr Michael Anpe, said technology would play a critical role in Nigeria’s transition to a more efficient energy future.

Udeh said smart energy systems, Artificial Intelligence and digital monitoring tools were already transforming energy management globally, urging Nigeria to strengthen collaboration among research institutions, universities, technology hubs and industries.

He said such collaboration was necessary to ensure that innovations translated into practical solutions to the country’s energy challenges.

“We must move beyond research that remains on shelves towards innovations that solve real problems in Nigerian homes, offices, industries and communities,” he said.

The minister noted that Nigeria had made progress in developing policies and institutional frameworks on energy efficiency but stressed that such policies would only achieve their objectives when effectively implemented and monitored.

He urged participants to ensure that the workshop produced practical, solution-oriented and action-driven outcomes capable of delivering measurable improvements across key sectors.

Similarly, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, said industrial energy expenditure in Nigeria ran into trillions of naira annually.

Abdullahi said a significant portion of the expenditure was being channelled into self-generated diesel power, which he described as the most expensive and least efficient energy source available to Nigerian industries.

He said the workshop was designed to bring policymakers, regulators and implementers together to agree on specific actions and timelines for improving energy efficiency.

“Inefficiency in the energy chain is money leaving the productive economy for no productive return.

“Energy efficiency policy that is not backed by clear standards, and standards not backed by institutions able to enforce them, do not change outcomes on the ground,” he said.

In his keynote address, Prof. Abubakar Sambo said Nigeria’s porous borders had allowed energy-inefficient appliances to enter the country, creating a major enforcement gap.

Sambo said Nigeria lacked adequate decentralised testing capacity to verify the energy ratings of appliances entering through its ports.

He therefore called for a shift from voluntary compliance to mandatory, customs-enforced compliance at the point of entry.

“We must integrate compliance between the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the Nigeria Customs Service to flag high-energy intensity imports at the ports,” he said.

Sambo described energy efficiency as Nigeria’s cleanest, cheapest and most abundant energy source, adding that it required no new power plants but stronger political will to enforce existing regulations.

Meanwhile, Mrs Fatima Sheji, who represented the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, described JICA as a strong and consistent partner in Nigeria’s national development.

She said energy efficiency affected virtually every sector of the economy, including infrastructure and education, making the workshop particularly important to Nigeria’s development agenda.

She urged the Energy Commission to support the programme fully and ensure that its outcomes were scaled across the country.

“This is very dear to the country because it will help industries, improve schools and support the all-round development of Nigeria,” she said