By Anietie Ubong
The appointment of Bala Wunti as the pioneer Chief Executive Officer of the World Energy Council Nigeria comes with an opportunity to build an institution that is not merely another voice in Nigeria’s crowded energy space, but a credible platform capable of influencing policy, investment and the country’s long-term energy direction. To achieve this, Wunti and his team must translate the global philosophy of the World Energy Council into practical Nigerian solutions.
The first priority should be the development of a Nigerian Energy Trilemma Framework, adapting the Council’s core principles of energy security, affordability and sustainability to the country’s peculiar circumstances. Nigeria needs clear indicators for measuring whether its energy system is becoming more secure, accessible, affordable and environmentally sustainable.
Closely linked to this should be an annual Nigeria Energy Scorecard, providing an objective assessment of the country’s energy performance. The scorecard should track electricity access and reliability, oil and gas production, refinery performance, energy prices, investment, renewable-energy penetration, clean cooking, gas utilisation and other critical indicators. Such a mechanism would help move the national conversation from political claims to measurable outcomes.
WEC Nigeria should also establish a Nigeria Energy Data Hub, bringing together credible information from across the energy value chain. Reliable data is essential for sound policymaking, investment decisions and public accountability. The organisation should become a trusted source of independent energy intelligence.
A fourth priority should be the development of Nigeria Energy Scenarios 2050, examining alternative pathways for the country’s energy future. Rather than attempting to predict one future, WEC Nigeria should help policymakers prepare for different possibilities involving oil and gas, renewable energy, electricity, emerging technologies and changing global energy markets.
The organisation should equally publish a Nigeria Energy Investment Outlook, identifying opportunities, regulatory barriers, infrastructure gaps and financing challenges confronting investors. Nigeria urgently needs capital to develop its energy infrastructure, and WEC Nigeria can help bridge the gap between policy aspirations and investment realities.
Gas should receive particular attention through a comprehensive Gas Industrialisation Roadmap. Nigeria possesses enormous gas resources, yet much of the country’s economic potential remains underdeveloped. WEC Nigeria should examine how gas can support electricity generation, fertiliser, petrochemicals, manufacturing and other productive sectors.
The sixth agenda should be complemented by an Energy-for-Industry Strategy, aligning energy infrastructure with Nigeria’s industrial ambitions. Energy policy must increasingly be designed around economic activity, ensuring that industrial clusters, agricultural processing centres, digital businesses and manufacturing hubs have reliable and competitively priced energy.
WEC Nigeria should also establish a strong Future Energy Leaders Nigeria platform, giving young professionals meaningful opportunities to participate in research, policy discussions and international energy networks. Nigeria’s future energy leadership must be deliberately cultivated today.
Another strategic priority should be an Energy Security and Geopolitical Intelligence Desk. Global conflicts, changing oil markets, LNG competition, sanctions, shipping disruptions and emerging technologies can quickly affect Nigeria’s economy. WEC Nigeria should provide early-warning analysis to help the country anticipate and manage external energy shocks.
Finally, every major WEC Nigeria recommendation should be subjected to a Delivery and Accountability Framework. Policy recommendations should have measurable targets, timelines, responsible institutions and mechanisms for follow-up.
The success of WEC Nigeria should ultimately be measured not by the number of conferences it organises, but by the quality of ideas it generates and the extent to which those ideas contribute to a more secure, affordable, sustainable and investment-friendly Nigerian energy system.
For Bala Wunti, therefore, the assignment is larger than leading a new organisation. It is an opportunity to help build an institution capable of changing how Nigeria thinks about, plans and derives value from energy.
The author is a Lagos based Energy Analyst
