Inefficient Energy Use Crippling Nigerian Industries

Stakeholders in the industrial sector have identified inefficient energy use as a major challenge undermining the productivity and competitiveness of Nigerian industries, calling on the media to drive informed public discourse on sustainable industrial practices.

The call was made in Kano during a one-day training organised by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) under the Industrial Energy Efficiency (IEE) and Resource-Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) Project in Nigeria for media professionals.

Speaking during his presentation titled “The Concept of Cleaner Production and Its Role in Reducing Resource Consumption and Environmental Footprints,” Chukwudubem Anyadiegwu said the workshop marked a transition from awareness to a deeper understanding of sustainability concepts.

He stressed that poor energy and resource management, rather than lack of funds, remains a key constraint facing many Nigerian industries.

According to him, RECP is a preventive approach focused on reducing energy, water and material use while minimising waste and emissions at the production stage. “Cleaner production is about doing more with less. Many industries can start saving costs without additional investment by eliminating waste and inefficient practices,” he said.

Anyadiegwu added that rising energy costs and inefficiencies have made RECP not just an environmental issue, but also a critical economic and development concern for Nigeria. He urged journalists to report sustainability issues using facts, data and context, rather than buzzwords, noting that the media serve as gatekeepers of credibility in assessing industry claims.

Also speaking, Mrs Mojisola Osiboye, a communication expert, said the training was designed to strengthen media capacity to report complex energy efficiency issues accurately. She urged journalists to understand UNIDO-recognised methodologies and avoid greenwashing by relying on verifiable indicators when reporting sustainability benefits.

Earlier, Mr Oladipo Jacob, National Project Coordinator of the GEF-UNIDO IEE and RECP Project Nigeria, said unreliable and costly energy supply remains a major burden on Nigerian industries. He noted that industries participating in the project have recorded improved productivity by producing more with less energy through better energy management and resource efficiency.

Similarly, Engr. Obafemi Adejumo, IEE National Expert, explained that industrial energy efficiency simply means achieving the same output with less energy or increasing output with existing energy resources, stressing that inefficient energy use continues to erode industrial profitability.