Nigeria Joins IEA as Association Country to Strengthen Energy Security, Renewable Energy Cooperation, and Global Energy Governance

Nigeria has become an Association country of the International Energy Agency (IEA) after the Agency’s Governing Board unanimously approved its membership, expanding the IEA Family’s representation to more than 80% of global energy demand.

The move strengthens cooperation between the IEA and Africa’s most populous nation, a major producer of oil and natural gas and one of the continent’s fastest-growing renewable energy markets. The partnership is expected to enhance collaboration on energy security, clean energy deployment, energy access, and sustainable development across sub-Saharan Africa.

Nigeria, which has a population of more than 240 million, continues to face challenges in expanding access to reliable electricity and clean cooking solutions despite its significant energy resources. The country has also emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing markets for decentralized solar systems while increasing efforts to improve energy access.

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol described Nigeria’s accession as a milestone for global energy governance, saying deeper cooperation would support the country’s efforts to strengthen energy security, expand energy access, and drive economic growth while reinforcing the IEA’s engagement across Africa.

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, welcomed the decision, describing it as an important step for the country and encouraging other African nations to strengthen collaboration with the IEA to advance universal energy access and industrialization.

The IEA noted that Nigeria has played an increasingly important role in international energy markets. Recent growth in the country’s refining sector has improved fuel supply resilience across Africa and global markets, while investments in decentralized solar energy continue to accelerate the country’s clean energy transition.

The decision builds on more than a decade of cooperation between Nigeria and the IEA. In 2025, the IEA, Nigeria’s Ministry of Petroleum Resources, and the African Energy Commission jointly hosted a regional roundtable in Abuja focused on reducing methane emissions from the energy sector.

Created in 2015, the IEA Association programme enables closer collaboration with partner countries on secure, affordable, and sustainable energy systems. Nigeria becomes the 14th Association country in the programme, further expanding the IEA’s global reach.