- The House of Representatives will probe mismanaged green energy projects to prevent substandard delivery and wasted funds.
- The Committee on Renewable Energy will assess compliance and ensure future projects go to qualified, competent agencies.
The House of Representatives will investigate the domiciliation of green energy projects with inappropriate entities to prevent substandard implementation and loss of value.
On Wednesday, October 22, the House adopted a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Hon. Jesse Onuakalusi, the member representing Oshodi/Isolo II Federal Constituency, Lagos State.
The Federal Government, through its Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), funds green and renewable energy projects to expand sustainable power generation, reduce carbon emissions, and improve access to clean energy, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
Some projects, including solar mini-grids, wind farms, and other renewable initiatives, have gone to entities lacking expertise, technical capacity, or statutory authority to manage or supervise them effectively.
Hon. Onuakalusi warned that misplacing projects undermines Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan. He said, “Assigning projects to unqualified entities encourages duplication of efforts, delays implementation, and produces substandard or abandoned projects. It wastes public funds and erodes trust. Poor due diligence and weak inter-agency coordination have caused inefficiency, poor monitoring, and loss of value in renewable energy infrastructure, particularly in rural electrification and public sector energy efficiency programmes.”
He stressed that the House expects competent agencies such as the Rural Electrification Agency, the Energy Commission of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to manage projects to ensure technical quality, sustainability, and accountability. Mismanagement threatens Nigeria’s commitments to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 and the Paris Climate Agreement, with serious environmental sustainability and economic growth consequences.
The House directed its Committee on Renewable Energy to investigate the domiciliation of green energy projects across MDAs, verify compliance with due process, and confirm that agencies possess the required capacity and statutory mandate. The Committee will identify projects that misperformed or suffered due to inappropriate assignment and recommend corrective measures, including sanctions.
The House urged the Federal Government, through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Bureau of Public Procurement, to assign future projects only to competent, legally mandated, and technically qualified institutions. It instructed the Federal Ministry of Power and the Energy Commission of Nigeria to develop a clear inter-agency coordination framework for renewable energy projects and report to the Committee within four weeks.
Finally, the House proposed an urgent amendment to the Electric Power Sector Reform Act to align existing laws with Nigeria’s renewable energy goals.