Nigeria’s Energy Transition: Protecting Workers and Communities

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and energy transition experts have called for stronger protection of workers and host communities as Nigeria moves towards a low-carbon economy.

They made the demand while advocating a more inclusive and equitable approach to the country’s transition from fossil fuels to renewable and cleaner energy sources.

Head of the British Research Academy, Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke, said workers must be directly involved in the formulation and implementation of climate change and energy transition policies because they are among those most exposed to the consequences of the transition.

Okereke described climate change as largely a workplace issue, noting that workers are directly exposed to pollution and other environmental hazards.

He urged the government to ensure that policies designed to reduce dependence on fossil fuels also protect workers whose livelihoods could be affected.

According to him, affected workers should be provided with adequate training and skills to enable them take advantage of emerging opportunities in the green economy.

He also called for social protection measures, including compensation, early retirement benefits and timely payment of pensions for workers who may lose their jobs as a result of the transition.

Similarly, the NLC Head of Climate Change, Comrade Eche Asuzu, said justice and equity must remain central to Nigeria’s energy transition policies.

Asuzu said governance, institutional arrangements and the distribution of benefits often determine which individuals and communities gain or lose from energy and mining projects.

He called for stronger research and data collection to properly identify the challenges confronting communities affected by mining and other energy-related activities.

He said some communities had complained about displacement, inadequate compensation and the failure of companies and government agencies to address their grievances.

According to him, while Nigeria has policies and regulations aimed at protecting affected communities, weak implementation and inadequate monitoring remain major challenges.

Asuzu therefore urged federal, state and local governments, companies and host communities to strengthen collaboration to ensure effective implementation of energy transition policies.

He also advocated greater transparency in Community Development Agreements between companies and host communities, stressing that residents should have access to the agreements and be empowered to demand accountability.

Nigeria’s energy transition is guided by the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan, which targets net-zero emissions by 2060 while seeking to address energy poverty, economic development and access to energy.

The plan focuses on five key sectors — power, cooking, transport, industry, and oil and gas — and was updated in 2024 to reflect new data and policy developments.

The plan also projects significant employment opportunities from the transition, estimating that Nigeria’s net-zero pathway could generate up to 340,000 jobs by 2030 and 840,000 by 2060, particularly in the power, cooking and transport sectors.

However, it recognises the potential for long-term job losses in the oil sector, underscoring the need for measures to protect affected workers.

The stakeholders said Nigeria’s transition to a low-carbon economy must therefore balance environmental objectives with the protection of livelihoods, host communities and vulnerable groups.

They stressed that the success of the energy transition would depend not only on reducing carbon emissions but also on ensuring that workers and communities are active participants and beneficiaries of the process.