Nigeria unveils industrial energy efficiency database to tackle waste, boost competitiveness

NIGERIA – Nigeria has launched a new Industrial Energy Efficiency (IEE) Database in a bid to help industries cut energy waste, strengthen competitiveness, and align with global sustainability standards.

The initiative, spearheaded by the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), was formally presented at a sensitization workshop in Lagos and later at the ECN headquarters in Abuja.

It is part of the GEF-UNIDO project, Improving Nigeria’s Industrial Energy Performance and Resource Efficient Cleaner Production.

Mustapha Abdullahi, Director General of ECN, said the database was developed after extensive surveys across major industrial hubs including Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, Onitsha, and Warri.

It is designed to provide accurate data on industrial energy consumption patterns and support evidence-based policymaking.

“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,” Abdullahi said, in remarks delivered on his behalf by Gbenga Olokede of ECN’s Energy Transition and Linkages Department.

The database is intended to be user-friendly and accessible to both policymakers and industrial stakeholders, enabling companies to identify energy-saving opportunities and integrate international best practices into their operations.

Biodun Ogunleye, Lagos State Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, stressed the economic and environmental importance of energy efficiency.

He noted that inefficiencies currently account for up to 30 percent of industrial energy waste in Nigeria.

“Industrial energy efficiency is not a compliance burden; it is a strategic advantage,” he said, urging companies to pursue ISO 50001 certification, the global standard for energy management systems.

Ogunleye also highlighted Lagos State’s 2023 Electricity Sector Reform Law, which seeks to foster sustainability and improve power reliability through investments in gas-to-power projects, renewable energy, and embedded generation.

Drawing on examples from South Africa’s pulp and paper industry and India’s cement sector, he underlined how structured energy management frameworks have delivered multi-million-dollar savings and significant carbon emission reductions.

According to Industrial Energy Efficiency consultant Okon Ekpenyong, the database will help industries track consumption, benchmark performance, and adopt cleaner production techniques.

Beyond data, its wider goal is to raise awareness, promote collaboration, and advance energy-conscious practices in line with Nigeria’s development and climate commitments.

With industrial energy demand set to rise sharply, officials say the initiative could prove pivotal in reducing waste, cutting costs, and improving Nigeria’s competitiveness on the global stage.

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