The Director General, Energy Commission of Nigeria,  Dr Mustapha Abdullahi has stated that, the government wants Nigeria to be a hydrogen hub that would not just utilise, but export to other African countries.

The ECN Boss stated this in Abuja at the opening of a 3-day Summit on Low-Carbon Hydrogen Economy organised by the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) and the European Union (EU).

Dr Mustapha Abdullahi explained that the global hydrogen market was predicted to reach 50 billion dollars in the coming decades, stressing  that Nigeria should leverage its massive natural gas reserves to produce blue hydrogen and create a new economic opportunity while working toward cleaner alternatives.

According to him, “We have over 209 trillion cubic feet below the surface as reserves. What we are trying to do is to create another economy to utilise that gas.

“We want Nigeria to be a hydrogen hub where we cannot just utilise, but export to other African countries.

Speaking on why ECN conveyed the Summit, the DG said  the Energy Commission of Nigeria exists to look beyond the next budget cycle and the next election – to plan for the energy decisions whose consequences will be felt in 2040 and in 2060. 

“Hydrogen is precisely that kind of decision. It is not a technology we are testing. It is an economy we are choosing to build, or choosing to leave to others.

Speaking on ECN’S institutional track record, Dr Mustapha said, “This is not a position the Commission has arrived at suddenly. Nigeria’s National Energy Policy was first approved by the Federal Executive Council in 2003, and a new edition – alongside the National Energy Master Plan – was approved again in 2022. 

“Both named hydrogen as a clean energy carrier within Nigeria’s energy future. What changed in the years since, is not our interest – it is our capacity to act on it. In 2023, this Commission inaugurated its Hydrogen Committee, and that Committee commenced its work immediately. 

“Today, the Energy Commission of Nigeria serves as the Project Executing Entity for Nigeria’s Child Project under the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation’s Global Clean Hydrogen Programme – one of only nine countries worldwide selected into that programme’s first phase. 

“Under it, this Commission is already executing technical assistance for green hydrogen pilot demonstration.

“This Summit is not Nigeria’s starting point on hydrogen. It is Nigeria’s acceleration point. Nigeria’s Hydrogen Leapfrog begins here.

While speaking at the Summit, Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udey said the Federal Government is determined to provide the enabling environment for effective utilisation of the nation’s abundant low-carbon hydrogen energy resources under its energy diversification initiatives.

As part of the blueprints towards achieving the objective, Udey said that a national hydrogen policy draft had reached an advanced stage and would become operational as soon as possible.

The Minister, represented by Dr Mukhtar Muhammad, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, described  Nigeria’s hydrogen as a critical component of the nation’s clean energy transition plan.

“This government commits to ensuring that the regulatory clarity our agencies require to act, is not the obstacle to achieving economic diversification,” he said.

The Minister noted the technical support from Germany and UNIDO, but cautioned that necessary regulatory work and licensing, belonged strictly to Nigerian institutions.

“Our partners have offered Nigeria a door; they have not offered to walk through it on our behalf.

Mr Godfrey Ogbemudia, Programme Manager for Energy at the European Union Delegation, said that clean hydrogen offers immense opportunities for Nigeria to meet its net-zero and renewable targets.

“We are not only just interested in the knowledge that you are going to get. How does this translate into concrete investment?

“How does this help Nigeria meet its energy target? That is what we will be looking forward to see and we are going to follow this up strictly,” he said.

The Statistician-General of the Federation, Mr Semiu Adeniran, emphasised that low-carbon hydrogen was revolutionary for decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors like manufacturing and transport.

Represented by Kazeem Fatai, a Senior Statistician at the National Bureau of Statistics, Adeniran warned that successful transition frameworks should be evidence-based and economically viable.

“The development of a successful hydrogen ecosystem demands an entirely new baseline of robust statistics.

“We need high fidelity data tracking energy input-output ratios, infrastructure factor flows, green jobs, and crucially disaggregated data on industrial process,” he said.

Etiosa Uyigue, Executive Director of the Community Research and Development Centre, stated that the EU-funded project actively supports multiple core government agencies.

He listed the Nigerian Electricity Management Services Agency and the Rural Electrification Agency among institutions receiving crucial capacity building and data collection support.

“The overall objective of the project is to support the government efforts to achieve the energy transition goals,” He said

 A low-carbon hydrogen economy is an economic model that uses hydrogen as a primary energy carrier and industrial raw material, produced with significantly reduced or net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. 

It is a critical component of global net-zero strategies designed to eliminate pollution from sectors that are difficult to electrify, such as aviation, shipping, and heavy manufacturing (e.g., steel and cement)

 The economic importance of a low-carbon hydrogen economy lies in its ability to decarbonize energy-intensive industries, generate new jobs through infrastructure development, and enhance global energy security by diversifying fuel supplies. 

It acts as a critical economic enabler for a sustainable green transition.

A ROUND PEG IN A ROUND HOLE: DR. MUSTAPHA ABDULLAHI’S INDELIBLE STRIDES IN SOLARIZATION

In the annals of Nigeria’s energy sector, few appointments have generated as much goodwill and validated confidence as the placement of Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi at the helm of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN).

Since his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on October 24, 2023, as the third Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Dr. Abdullahi has become the very embodiment of purposeful leadership; a man whose competence, passion, and vision align so perfectly with his mandate that the metaphor writes itself: a round peg, firmly and productively seated in a round hole.

Born in Kano and hailing from Okene Local Government Area in Kogi State, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi brings to the ECN an enviable combination of academic distinction and hands-on professional experience that few in his generation can match.

A Chartered Engineer (CEng) and member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (MIMechE), he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, an MSc from the University of Salford in the United Kingdom, and a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the prestigious University of Manchester, where his research on structural integrity was supported by the Industry Collaboration Fund of the United Kingdom, underscoring his standing in global engineering circles.

Prior to his appointment, Dr. Abdullahi had accumulated over 14 years of experience across Nigeria’s energy sector, spanning stints at the Department of Petroleum Resources, now the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC); the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), and the University of Manchester, before serving as Senior Technical Adviser to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology.

It was, therefore, no surprise when President Tinubu, a leader widely credited with assembling quality hands to deliver on his policy agenda, identified in Dr. Abdullahi the rare qualities of passion, technical depth, and reform instinct required to pilot Nigeria’s energy transition.

From the moment he assumed office, Dr. Abdullahi anchored his leadership on a clear and urgent mission: to make solar energy not a privilege of the few but a practical and accessible reality for millions of Nigerians from university campuses in the South to rural communities in the North.

His five-point agenda, centred on the integration of renewable energy solutions into Nigeria’s mainstream energy mix, has translated into a series of landmark projects that are reshaping the country’s energy landscape.

The most consequential of these is the implementation of the Renewed Hope Solarization Project ; the flagship initiative of President Tinubu’s energy agenda, which provides 2 megawatts (MW) of solar hybrid systems across 37 federal universities and 37 tertiary hospitals in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Under Dr. Abdullahi’s stewardship, the ECN has already delivered over 100 MW of solar power, touching the lives of students, healthcare professionals, and communities across the country.

His ambitious goal of achieving full renewable energy coverage for federal tertiary institutions by 2027 is not mere rhetoric but a programme-backed commitment with measurable milestones.

Manufacturing Nigeria’s Solar Future

Perhaps the most transformative pillar of Dr. Abdullahi’s tenure is his deliberate push to move Nigeria from solar energy consumer to solar energy producer.

On July 27, 2024, history was made when the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Modules Assembly Plant was held at Ihunekwagu Autonomous Community, Akpugo, in the Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State. The plant, once operational, will domesticate solar PV technology in Nigeria, moving the country from small-scale attempts to a full-fledged solar manufacturing ecosystem.

The significance of this is not lost on energy analysts. For decades, Nigeria has been a net importer of solar technology, spending scarce foreign exchange on panels manufactured thousands of kilometres away. Dr. Abdullahi’s vision changes that narrative fundamentally.

Going further, he led Nigeria into a landmark partnership with LONGi Green Energy Technology Co. Ltd., the world’s largest solar panel manufacturer. Discussions held at LONGi’s headquarters in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China, anchored by an earlier Memorandum of Understanding signed in London centred on the establishment of a 500 to 1,000 MW solar panel production plant in Nigeria. If realised, this single initiative would not only create thousands of jobs but would position Nigeria as a continental leader in solar manufacturing and a destination for clean energy investment across Africa.

He also signed an MOU with China Energy Engineering Corporation to establish State Energy Planning Centres across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones, ensuring that energy planning becomes a data-driven, decentralised, and responsive exercise rather than a top-down, Abuja-centric exercise.

From Research Centres To Rural Communities

Dr. Abdullahi has ensured that the ECN’s network of Research Centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones is not merely academic but actively development-oriented. Under his watch, these centres have been mobilised to develop demonstrable products addressing real energy challenges, from bio-energy systems that reduce dependence on fossil fuels, to solar drying systems that aid rural farmers in preserving their produce, to small, medium, and commercial-scale solar-powered chicken brooding systems that are transforming the agricultural economy at the grassroots level.

His collaboration with ECOWAS to launch the National Energy Information System (NEIS) has also strengthened Nigeria’s energy data architecture, a critical enabler for evidence-based policymaking.

The Renewable Energy Empowerment Programme implemented in communities like Odoli and Owerri further demonstrates his commitment to ensuring that the benefits of the energy transition reach those most often left behind.

A National Energy Policy For The Ages

Under Dr. Abdullahi’s watch, the ECN unveiled the National Energy Policy (NEP) and National Energy Master Plan (NEMP), the first time in the Commission’s history that Nigeria has had both a comprehensive national energy policy and a corresponding master plan to guide its energy development and sustainability trajectory. This achievement alone represents a foundational contribution to Nigeria’s long-term energy governance that will outlast any single administration.

The Right Man, The Right Place, The Right Time

In a country where square pegs in round holes have too often been the story of public service appointments, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi stands as a refreshing and compelling exception. Stakeholders, industry watchers, civil society, and even Nigeria’s development partners have consistently affirmed that his appointment represents one of the most inspired choices of the Tinubu administration.

The Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders (CONYL) put it well when it described him as “one of the leading lights in the government’s push for sustainable development.” His peers in the energy sector see in him a man who did not merely arrive at office with a title, but with a blueprint; and has been executing it with rare discipline, innovation, and patriotism.

Nigeria’s power sector crisis is deep and structural. But if the experience of Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi’s tenure at the Energy Commission of Nigeria teaches anything, it is that when the right person occupies the right office with the right mandate, transformation; however incremental, becomes not just possible but inevitable.

The round peg is firmly in the round hole. And Nigeria’s solar future, for perhaps the first time, looks genuinely bright.

UK Miner Launches Arbitration Case as Nigeria Blocks Access to Multi-Billion-Dollar Lithium Project

By Steven Kefas

A British mining company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Nigeria after authorities purported to revoke its licences, forcibly escorted company personnel off its legally held tenements, and blocked development of what it says is a multi-billion-dollar lithium and critical minerals project with strategic importance for the UK.

Jupiter Lithium Ltd, a UK-registered company, has filed a Request for Arbitration with the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) based in Washington DC, Paris and Singapore.

Jupiter has spent several years exploring and delineating what it describes as a world-class hard-rock lithium deposit in central Nigeria. According to the company, the resource is large enough to supply all of Britain’s lithium requirements for decades, positioning it as one of the most significant potential contributors to the UK’s emerging battery and electric-vehicle supply chain.

But Jupiter alleges that the Nigerian Federal Government has unlawfully obstructed the project, including by purportedly revoking 70 per cent of its Mining Leases and failing to grant further Leases within the statutory timelines under Nigeria’s Mining Act. The Act requires the Minister of Solid Minerals to issue or refuse a mining title within 45 days; Jupiter says it has been waiting more than two years.

Tensions escalated further in late 2025 when, according to Jupiter, federal authorities forcibly removed its personnel from site and escorted a Chinese-backed mining company onto the tenements to begin operations, despite the Chinese operator holding no legal mining title. The company says it has repeatedly sought dialogue with the administration of President Bola Tinubu, but all attempts to initiate discussions through the Mines Minister and Director General Mining Cadastre Office have failed.

According to individuals familiar with the exchanges, Minister of Solid Minerals Dele Alake at one point asked whether an international court would believe a foreign mining company over the Minister himself, which is seen as signalling the government’s unwillingness to engage in a negotiated resolution.

Jupiter is protected as a foreign investor in Nigeria under the terms of the UK–Nigeria Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT), which guarantees protections for British investors including fair and equitable treatment, non-discrimination, and safeguards against expropriation. The company alleges multiple breaches of the Treaty and in June 2025 formally notified the Tinubu government of its intention to proceed to international arbitration if Nigeria continued to interfere with its rights to its tenements and refused to engage in discussions to resolve the dispute.

“Jupiter has acted in full compliance with Nigerian law and has made every effort to resolve this matter amicably,” a company representative said. “We have been left with no option but to pursue international arbitration to protect our investment and the rights afforded under the BIT.”

The Nigerian Government has not publicly commented on the dispute. Officials have previously signalled an ambition to increase domestic control over strategic critical minerals and deepen partnerships with new foreign entrants, including Chinese investors, as part of a broader push to accelerate development of the sector.

The Jupiter Critical Minerals Project is, according to the Jupiter website, one of the largest lithium deposits in the world. With an estimated output of 167, 000 tons of Lithium concentrate in the first two years, Nigeria stands to gain at least $6.2 billion in the first two years.

The confrontation comes at a critical time for the UK and US, which are both seeking to secure long-term supplies of lithium and other critical minerals essential for battery manufacturing. Britain currently has no commercial-scale domestic lithium production and relies heavily on imports from Australia, Chile, and China.

With London seeking to strengthen supply-chain resilience and deepen economic ties with African partners, the mistreatment of a major British investor in a strategic sector is likely to attract close attention from UK officials.

Meanwhile the US has made it clear it is concerned about the Chinese influence to control Critical Minerals and the processing of Rare Earth Elements which are essential components in defence technologies, smartphones, laptops, electric and hybrid vehicles, wind turbines and flat-screen displays.

Diplomatic observers say the dispute may feature prominently in discussions ahead of President Tinubu’s bid for a second term.

Jupiter says it remains open to a negotiated settlement but continues to prepare for arbitration and committed to arbitration under the Treaty to enforce its rights under the BIT should the stalemate persists.