As the global energy landscape shifts away from hydrocarbons, Nigeria is positioning itself to adapt through innovation, decentralised solutions, and a diversified energy mix. At a recent session on energy and development, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company’s Research, Technology and Innovation (RCI) division outlined its strategy for supporting the country’s energy transition while maintaining energy security.
The RCI division was created to go beyond traditional research and development by embedding emerging technologies, building prototypes, and converting research into practical, market-ready solutions across the energy value chain.
Speaking during a fireside chat at the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) 2026, Dr Ebelechukwu Chiatula, head of the Energy Research and Innovation division, explained that Nigeria’s target of achieving 30 per cent renewable energy by 2030 is ambitious but necessary.
The country currently requires about 20,000 megawatts of electricity but produces only around 5,500 megawatts. This figure does not fully capture the reality of energy use across the country, where households and businesses rely on generators, solar systems, firewood, and charcoal.
Meeting the renewable energy target, she said, will require significant investment, infrastructure development, and a coordinated national approach. Rather than focusing solely on individual corporate targets, she stressed the importance of building a resilient energy system that integrates multiple sources.
The RCI division is promoting a shift from a resource-centric mindset—where the focus is on extracting value from a single energy source—to a systems-based approach. This model integrates solar, hydro, gas, and traditional hydrocarbons into a single, reliable energy system that can operate around the clock while reducing emissions.
One of the division’s core priorities is ensuring that research leads to real-world impact. Instead of focusing only on knowledge generation, the team identifies practical problems, develops prototypes, pilots solutions with stakeholders, and then converts them into commercial deployments that benefit communities and businesses.
The company has already aligned with government renewable energy targets, integrated solar into some of its facilities, and joined global decarbonisation initiatives. However, the transition presents technical and operational challenges, especially when integrating renewable systems into large, existing infrastructure.
The division is also exploring opportunities in geothermal energy and hydrogen. While these resources hold significant potential, they require proper mapping, infrastructure planning, and supportive policy frameworks. Collaboration, Chiatula noted, will be essential. The new energy landscape is more fragmented and complex, requiring partnerships across industries, institutions, and communities.
The session also highlighted the potential of bioenergy to link waste, agriculture, and energy, creating new economic opportunities at the local level.
As Nigeria moves toward a more diversified energy future, the role of research, innovation, and decentralised solutions will be critical in closing the energy gap and driving sustainable development.