The Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) has taken a significant step towards embedding energy efficiency into its industrial sector with the public presentation of a new Industrial Energy Efficiency (IEE) Database.
The initiative, driven in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), aims to strengthen national frameworks for energy management and support industries in adopting international best practices.
Mustapha Abdullahi, director general of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, said the IEE Database was developed to provide reliable data on industrial energy consumption, following surveys of small, medium, and large-scale industries across major industrial hubs in Nigeria, including Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, Onitsha and Warri.
Speaking at a National sensitisation workshop in Lagos, Abdullahi noted that evidence-based policymaking requires accurate data, particularly in addressing challenges around energy use.
“Without comprehensive knowledge of how industries acquire and use energy, attempts to develop policies that promote energy management and efficiency would be baseless and counterproductive,” he said.
Mustapha, who was represented by Gbenga Olokede of the Energy Transition and Linkages Department of the Commission, explained that the database is designed to be user-friendly, easy to navigate and accessible to stakeholders, thereby enabling policymakers and industrialists to integrate efficiency measures into their operations.
Also speaking, Biodun Ogunleye, Lagos State commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, in his keynote address, emphasised the centrality of energy efficiency to Nigeria’s industrial future.
He observed that inefficiencies in energy use currently account for up to 30 percent of industrial energy waste in the country, undermining competitiveness, profitability and environmental performance. “Industrial energy efficiency is not a compliance burden; it is a strategic advantage,” he said.
He urged companies to pursue certification under ISO 50001, the global standard for energy management systems.
The commissioner highlighted Lagos’ efforts under its 2023 Electricity Sector Reform Law to foster sustainability and improve power reliability for industries, pointing to investments in gas-to-power projects, renewable energy, and embedded generation.
He also underscored the importance of structured energy management processes that follow the Plan–Do–Check–Act cycle, citing successful case studies from South Africa’s pulp and paper industry and India’s cement sector, both of which achieved multi-million-dollar savings and substantial reductions in carbon emissions through ISO 50001 implementation.
The Abuja phase of the initiative provided a platform for the official public presentation of the IEE Database at the Prof. I. H. Umar Conference Hall, ECN headquarters.
In his comments, Okon Ekpenyong, Industrial Energy Efficiency consultant to the ECN, said the database, developed under the GEF-UNIDO project named, ‘Improving Nigeria’s Industrial Energy Performance and Resource Efficient Cleaner Production,’ is expected to support industries in tracking energy use, identifying opportunities for efficiency, and adopting cleaner production techniques. Its dissemination is aimed at raising awareness, fostering collaboration, and promoting energy-conscious practices as part of Nigeria’s wider development agenda.
