Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Engineers have warned that Nigeria’s ageing electricity infrastructure, weak investment and rising energy demands from digital technologies threaten the country’s digital economy, industrial growth and competitiveness unless urgent reforms are implemented.
The warning was issued at the 22nd International Conference and Exhibition on Power and Telecommunications (ICEPT 2026), organised by the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (NIEEE) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr. Abdullahi Mustapha, the Acting Director for National Energy Efficiency, Dr. Manaseh Shitta, said Nigeria must urgently modernise its electricity infrastructure to cope with the demands of an increasingly digital economy.
He warned that artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing and data centres were driving global electricity consumption, placing additional pressure on power systems already struggling to meet existing demand.
The development, he said, presented a major challenge for Nigeria as the country pursued digital transformation, industrialisation and the transition to cleaner energy sources.
Shitta identified rising electricity demand from digitalisation, cybersecurity threats and inadequate investment in ageing power infrastructure as three critical obstacles to integrating energy systems with emerging technologies.
He explained that modern energy infrastructure increasingly depended on digital technologies to manage renewable energy sources, electric vehicle charging stations, battery storage systems and decentralised electricity generation.
Without appropriate digital systems, he said, managing these interconnected energy networks efficiently would become increasingly difficult.
However, he cautioned that greater reliance on digital technologies also exposed critical energy infrastructure to cyberattacks, making cybersecurity an essential component of Nigeria’s power sector modernisation.
He called for stronger collaboration among engineers, energy companies, investors and policymakers to attract investment, develop innovative technologies and establish regulatory frameworks that would support digital innovation while protecting critical infrastructure.
“The future of energy is not just green. It is smart, connected and digital,” he said.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Senator John Enoh, represented by the Zonal Coordinator of the ministry’s Industrial Inspectorate Department, Mr Itoro Johnson, said reliable electricity and digital technology were indispensable to Nigeria’s industrialisation drive.
He said the Nigeria Industrial Policy 2025 provided a framework for aligning energy, infrastructure, trade and technology to strengthen domestic manufacturing and improve the competitiveness of Nigerian businesses.
Enoh disclosed that the policy had attracted more than $380 million in strategic financing commitments for manufacturing and value-chain development.
He added that the federal government was prioritising dedicated energy solutions for industrial clusters to address electricity challenges confronting manufacturers.
According to him, plans included power and gas infrastructure for industrial parks such as Idu, alongside expanded financing opportunities for businesses through partnerships with the Bank of Industry.
The minister urged engineers to develop indigenous technologies and accelerate the adoption of digital solutions across industrial sectors, stressing that government efforts to achieve economic growth required effective collaboration with industry professionals.
Earlier, NIEEE President, Felix Adegboye, said the conference was designed to generate practical solutions to Nigeria’s electricity and technological challenges.
The conference, themed “Energy Transition in a Digital Era: The Nexus, Challenges and Opportunities,” is holding from October 12 to 16, bringing together stakeholders from government, academia, industry and the investment community.
Adegboye said discussions would cover clean energy, telecommunications, automation, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, with emphasis on addressing infrastructure gaps and identifying investment opportunities.
He also announced the inaugural NIEEE Fellows’ Assembly, which would examine artificial intelligence’s implications for engineering practice, professional responsibility, cybersecurity and the training of future engineers.
Adegboye urged participants to translate deliberations into deployable technologies, stronger industry-academia partnerships and sustainable engineering solutions.
He stressed that collaboration among professionals, government and investors would be essential to building a resilient energy system capable of supporting Nigeria’s digital ambitions and long-term industrial development.