Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria — Natural Justice Nigeria has called for stronger collaboration between communities, civil society organisations (CSOs) and the West African Power Pool (WAPP) to accelerate clean energy expansion and ensure an inclusive energy transition across West Africa.
The organisation made the call on Saturday during a two-day awareness and engagement workshop in Abuja themed “Building Dialogue among Communities, Civil Society Organisations and the West African Power Pool.”
Speaking at the event, Natural Justice Nigeria’s Country Manager for WAPP, Michael Karikpo, said meaningful collaboration is essential to building public trust, strengthening energy governance and supporting the rapid deployment of renewable energy infrastructure across the region.
According to him, the initiative seeks to deepen engagement with WAPP’s Nigerian office, encourage public participation in energy planning and mobilise support for regional projects such as the Clean Energy Corridor and Mission 300.
“The remarkable increase in demand for clean energy systems is being driven by consumers who have largely lost confidence in the ability of the national grid to provide stable electricity,” Karikpo said.
He attributed the shift to rising electricity tariffs, persistent blackouts, higher fuel prices and the falling global cost of solar technology.
Citing data from London-based energy think tank Ember, Karikpo said Nigeria had about 800 megawatts of installed solar capacity in 2025, while more than 1,700MW of solar panels were imported from China during the first quarter of 2026, including over 1,200MW in March alone.
“Consumers should not be discouraged by policy interventions but should be supported to continue making rational economic decisions that favour clean energy adoption. There is a need to strengthen institutions and governance systems to ensure that no one is left behind in the transition to renewable energy,” he said.
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