- Nigeria has been named Africa’s top performer in the 2025 energy transition.
- For WEF, the countries were selected based on the availability of consistent data across a minimum set of indicators, with each nation receiving a score from 0 to 100 for every indicator, along with two sub-scores.
As Nigeria pursues its ambitious goal of raising $2 trillion for carbon reduction by 2060, it has been named Africa’s top performer in the 2025 energy transition.
According to the latest global rankings released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on June 18, Nigeria scored 54.8 points and ranked 61st globally, showing the most significant progress among African countries.
The report, developed in partnership with consulting firm Accenture, is based on the Energy Transition Index (ETI) 2025 and measures energy system performance across 118 countries, using 43 indicators grouped into three key areas.
The areas include: Security, sustainability, and equity, along with five readiness factors for energy transition, including regulation, financing, innovation, infrastructure, and human capital.
For WEF, the countries were selected based on the availability of consistent data across a minimum set of indicators, with each nation receiving a score from 0 to 100 for every indicator, along with two sub-scores.
Nigeria climbed 48 places since the 2024 index, driven by targeted regulatory reforms, growing investment in clean energy, and localised transition strategies, the report added.
Outside Nigeria, Tunisia followed closely in second place among African countries, ranking 62nd globally. Namibia was third (64th globally), followed by Mauritius (69th), Morocco (70th), Egypt (74th), South Africa (79th), Kenya (88th), Algeria (89th), and Côte d’Ivoire, rounding out the African top 10 at 90th place.
WEF stated that the report provided additional insight into Africa’s broader energy transition efforts, with progress on the continent fueled by stronger political commitment and increased financial flows.
However, the organisation stated significant differences between countries due to underinvestment, low energy access rates, and institutional weaknesses in several nations.
Generally, Sub-Saharan Africa has posted an average score of 48.8 points, while the Middle East and North Africa region has posted an average of 52.1 points.
However, at the global level, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark maintained their lead in the energy transition rankings. Their top positions reflect long-standing political commitment, strong infrastructure, and diversified low-carbon energy systems.
Also, Norway, Switzerland, Austria, Latvia, and the Netherlands performed well, thanks to their focus on equity, clean energy investments, and expanded renewable capacity. Germany and Portugal completed the global top 10.
The report showed that worldwide progress toward secure, fair, and sustainable energy increased after years of stagnation. In 2025, 65 per cent of countries in the index improved their overall scores, with 28 per cent advancing across all three key areas: security, sustainability, and equity.
It said that while advanced economies face challenges like grid congestion, high energy prices, and supply bottlenecks, emerging regions such as parts of Europe and Asia are making faster gains, with their progress fueled by targeted reforms, better infrastructure, and greater investment in clean energy.
Nigeria’s energy transition programme, which formally launched in 2022, represents the country’s most ambitious effort to balance climate commitments with pressing energy access needs.
Known as the Energy Transition Plan (ETP), the programme aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2060 while lifting millions of Nigerians out of energy poverty and supporting inclusive economic growth.
At the heart of the plan is a major financial commitment. Nigeria estimates it will require about $1.9 trillion between now and 2060 to fully implement the programme. This translates to an average of $27.7 billion annually, with roughly $10 billion expected from public sources and the remaining $17.7 billion from private sector investment.