By Monsurat Abisoye
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, has warned that Nigeria could miss out on emerging opportunities in the global hydrogen economy if critical policy and regulatory decisions are delayed, despite its abundant natural and renewable energy resources.
He made the remarks in Abuja at the opening of a three-day Capacity Building Workshop on the Low-Carbon Hydrogen Economy for Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and private sector stakeholders. The event, themed “Strategic Awareness and Alignment Summit on the Low-Carbon Hydrogen Economy,” brought together government officials, industry representatives, development partners, and technical experts to strengthen coordination on hydrogen development.
Udeh, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Mukhtar Mohammad, said Nigeria already has the legal and policy frameworks required for a hydrogen-driven industrial shift, including the Climate Change Act 2021, the Energy Transition Plan, and the Federal Government’s Industrial Policy introduced in October last year, which promotes green industrialisation for economic diversification. He stressed the need to move from policy formulation to implementation.
He also referenced Nigeria’s commitments at COP28, ratification of the ECOWAS Green Hydrogen Policy, and ongoing talks with the Republic of Niger to open the Jibiya gateway along the LAKAJI Corridor. These negotiations, he said, are aimed at establishing legal and trade frameworks for future cross-border hydrogen transport and exports to the Sahel.
According to him, a National Hydrogen Policy is already at an advanced stage, with the government working to ensure regulatory clarity and stronger institutional coordination to attract investment. He warned that delays in decision-making could hinder Nigeria’s ambitions.
Citing global competition, Udeh noted that countries such as Egypt, Morocco, and Namibia have already secured major investments and partnerships in hydrogen despite having fewer natural advantages. Egypt has moved. Morocco has moved. Namibia has moved. Nigeria is not behind on resources. Nigeria is at risk of being behind on decisions,” he said.
He acknowledged support from Germany through the German-Nigeria Hydrogen Office and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), but stressed that Nigeria must take ownership of its progress. He also urged private sector investors and development partners to increase commitments.
Udeh drew a cautionary comparison with Kodak’s decline despite early innovation, warning that failure to act on emerging technologies could leave countries behind.
The Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, also spoke at the summit, noting that Nigeria’s vast energy resources must now be translated into concrete investments. He highlighted the country’s 209 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves—the largest in Africa—and its $337 billion investment pathway target under its 2025 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) towards 2035.
Abdullahi said hydrogen is a strategic energy choice, not a test technology, and referenced its inclusion in Nigeria’s 2003 National Energy Policy and the revised 2022 National Energy Policy and Energy Master Plan. He added that ECN established a Hydrogen Committee in 2023 to advance national efforts and now serves as the Project Executing Entity for Nigeria’s participation in UNIDO’s Global Clean Hydrogen Programme, involving nine countries in its first phase.
He described the summit as a “strategic alignment” platform aimed at institutional coordination rather than a conventional conference, noting collaboration among key agencies including ECN, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and the Federal Ministries of Innovation, Environment, and Budget and Economic Planning.
Abdullahi concluded that Nigeria’s hydrogen initiative, strengthened by international partnerships including the European Union, represents a transition point rather than a starting point, describing it as the beginning of Nigeria’s hydrogen “leapfrog”.