Nigeria Rejoins World Energy Council, Targets Gas Development, Access, Investment

Nigeria has formally rejoined the World Energy Council with the inauguration of World Energy Council Nigeria and a newly constituted National Member Committee and Governing Board, a move the body says will prioritise accelerating gas development, expanding energy access and mobilising investment to support industrialisation and sustainable growth.

The revived national body will act as an independent, non‑partisan forum to convene government, industry, financiers, academia and civil society around Nigeria’s pressing energy challenges — described by the WEC as the Energy Trilemma: ensuring energy security, promoting energy equity, and advancing environmental sustainability.

Leadership and membership

The Governing Board is chaired by Abdulrazaq Isa, co-founder and chairman of Waltersmith Petroman Oil Limited and a prominent voice for indigenous participation in the energy sector.

Also, a veteran energy executive with more than 30 years’ experience across the oil and gas value chain and a former chief upstream investment officer at NNPC Limited, Bala Wunti, has been named the committee’s inaugural chief executive officer.

Other board members include Professor Wumi Iledare; Dr Mustapha Abdullahi; Aisha Farida Katagum; Dr Ainojie “Alex” Irune; Dr Emmanuel Okon; Dr Victor Ekpenyong and Dr Imamuddeen Talba. Collectively, they bring expertise spanning policy, operations, regulation, investment, technology, research and enterprise development.

WEC Nigeria will apply the Council’s globally recognised Energy Trilemma framework to local conditions to promote evidence‑based discussion and actionable policy. The organisation’s stated objectives are to: Convene cross‑sectoral stakeholders to identify practical responses to Nigeria’s energy security, access and sustainability challenges; Promote dialogue that links technical evidence to policy, investment and implementation; Amplify Nigerian and broader African perspectives in global energy forums and tap the WEC’s international network to attract knowledge, technology and capital.

WEC secretary general Dr Angela Wilkinson welcomed Nigeria’s return, noting the country’s potential leadership role ahead of the World Energy Congress scheduled for Riyadh in April 2027. Nigeria’s re‑entry comes as the country seeks to expand energy access, accelerate gas sector development, bolster energy security and mobilise finance to support industrialisation and economic growth.

In remarks at the launch, Isa said the committee would “create a platform for stronger national and African leadership within the global energy community,” stressing an emphasis on solutions grounded in Nigeria’s development priorities and investor expectations.

Wunti added that WEC Nigeria will strive to “connect evidence with leadership, leadership with capital, and capital with action,” translating global insight into investable, implementable solutions at home.

Through the World Energy Council’s network of more than 3,000 member organisations in over 100 countries, WEC Nigeria aims to broaden access to international best practices, technical knowledge, and partnerships to support local projects and policy reform.

The World Energy Council, founded in 1923, is an independent global body that convenes energy leaders to promote practical, collaborative action across the energy system. WEC Nigeria will serve as the Council’s National Member Committee in Nigeria, operating as an impartial platform to foster multi‑stakeholder collaboration on energy transition and development.