…….NSE urges greater investment in renewable energy, smarter infrastructure and local innovation to tackle climate change.

Professional engineers under the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) have called for urgent investment in climate-resilient infrastructure and renewable energy, warning that climate change is already disrupting Nigeria’s economy, security and power supply.

The call was made at the Olorunfemi Ademola Colloquium in Lagos, where engineering professionals, policymakers and industry leaders examined practical solutions to the country’s growing climate challenges.

The annual policy lecture, organised by the Ikeja Branch of the NSE, was themed “Renewable Energy and Climate Change: Opportunities and Challenges.”

Climate change is already affecting Nigeria

Delivering the keynote address, energy expert Olufemi Dosumu said Nigeria possesses enormous renewable energy potential but continues to underperform globally.

According to him, the country enjoys abundant sunshine, wind resources, coastal advantages and extensive water bodies that could support large-scale clean energy generation.

Despite these advantages, Africa contributes only about 82 gigawatts, representing 1.6 per cent of the world’s renewable energy capacity of 5,149 gigawatts. He also noted that the continent generates only about three per cent of global electricity.

Dosumu warned that climate change is no longer a distant environmental issue but one with direct consequences for national development.

He linked the shrinking of Lake Chad to worsening insecurity in Nigeria’s North-East and said the loss of grazing land has intensified migration and farmer-herder conflicts across several states.

Engineers urged to lead renewable energy innovation

Dosumu identified inadequate financing, unreliable transmission infrastructure, inconsistent policies and a shortage of technical expertise as major barriers to renewable energy adoption in Nigeria.

He urged engineers to focus on developing smarter battery storage systems, modular renewable energy solutions and local manufacturing capacity.

He also encouraged professionals to view climate action as an economic opportunity, noting that trillions of dollars are being invested globally in clean energy technologies.

“Nigeria should position its engineers to drive innovation, create businesses and compete in the expanding global green economy,” he said.

Nigeria’s net-zero target

The keynote speaker said Nigeria’s transition agenda aligns with its commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060.

He explained that the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions target a reduction of about 185 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from 2018 levels while increasing renewable energy’s share of the national energy mix from roughly 20 per cent to 52 per cent.

He stressed that achieving those targets would require stronger collaboration between government, industry and engineering professionals.

NSE seeks practical solutions

Chairperson of the NSE Ikeja Branch, Nimot Muili, described reliable and affordable energy as the foundation of economic productivity and resilient infrastructure.

She said the colloquium was designed to move conversations beyond theory by promoting practical and scalable engineering solutions.

According to Muili, the lecture series honours former NSE President Ademola Olorunfemi while connecting engineering leadership with Nigeria’s broader development priorities.

Also speaking, NSE President Ali Rabiu said engineering must remain central to Nigeria’s industrial and economic transformation.

He commended Olorunfemi’s leadership for promoting Nigerian content through nationwide engineering workshops and encouraging the procurement of locally manufactured products, including vehicles, for official use.

Rabiu said strengthening indigenous engineering capacity would be critical to delivering sustainable infrastructure and accelerating Nigeria’s transition to a cleaner energy future.

Why it matters

The engineers argued that climate-resilient infrastructure is no longer optional for Nigeria as rising temperatures, flooding, desertification and energy insecurity continue to threaten economic growth and public safety.

They urged governments and the private sector to increase investment in renewable energy, research, local manufacturing and resilient infrastructure capable of withstanding the impacts of climate change.

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