ABUJA, Nigeria — International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol met with Nigeria’s vice president, petroleum minister and other government and energy-sector leaders in Abuja this week as the country began a new phase of cooperation with the agency as an Association country.
Birol met with Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa and held discussions with Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas) Ekperikpe Ekpo and senior officials on Nigeria’s energy and economic priorities.
The visit follows a unanimous decision by the IEA Governing Board in June to welcome Nigeria as an Association country, strengthening the agency’s engagement with Africa and expanding international cooperation on energy.
“Nigeria’s admission as an association country with the IEA is a significant milestone for our country and it reflects Nigeria’s strategic importance in the global energy landscape and the confidence that IEA has placed in our commitment to constructive international energy cooperation,” Shettima said. “The country will benefit from IEA’s institutional knowledge, the intellectual resources, the reach and expertise to support our nation’s ambitions in this sector.”
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and one of its largest economies, is also a major producer of oil and natural gas. Its energy sector faces growing demand for electricity, investment needs and persistent challenges in providing reliable and affordable power and access to clean cooking.
“Nigeria joining the IEA Family is a landmark moment — for Nigeria, for Africa and for the IEA,” Birol said. “Nigeria is one of the world’s most important emerging economies and a major energy producer, with a young and rapidly growing population. Its voice and experience belong at the heart of the global energy conversation.”
“It was a pleasure to meet with the Vice President and Nigeria’s energy leaders in Abuja as we begin this new chapter together,” Birol said. “Our partnership, with special thanks to Minister Ekpo as the host and driving force behind this, will help the IEA engage more deeply with energy systems in Africa, while leveraging our expertise and international network in support of Nigeria’s priorities — from strengthening energy security and further realising its huge energy potential to expanding access to electricity and clean cooking solutions.”
Ekpo hosted a welcome reception for Birol attended by chief executives from across Nigeria’s energy sector, including officials from institutions responsible for petroleum regulation and energy planning.
“I am delighted to host the IEA Executive Director in Abuja to celebrate this important milestone of Nigeria having become an Association country of the IEA,” Ekpo said. “The signature of our first Joint Work Programme at the Presidential Villa signals the highest level of commitment of Nigeria to deliver on this partnership, benefiting from the IEA’s tremendous wealth of knowledge and expertise. Nigeria is honoured to be at the table of global energy discussions.”
The first IEA-Nigeria Joint Work Programme, signed by Birol and Ekpo in the presence of Shettima, establishes a framework for cooperation in areas including energy security, investment, data and statistics, energy efficiency and clean cooking.
The programme also calls for greater exchanges between Nigerian institutions and IEA experts through analysis, data cooperation, policy advice and training.
Nigeria’s association with the IEA comes as the agency expands its engagement with emerging and developing economies. The IEA said its Association countries and members now represent more than 80% of global energy demand, compared with about 40% in 2015.
Nigeria joins South Africa, Kenya and Senegal as an IEA Association country in sub-Saharan Africa, increasing African representation in the agency’s work.
The partnership builds on more than a decade of cooperation between Nigeria and the IEA. Recent initiatives have included work on energy data and capacity building, as well as a regional roundtable on methane emissions co-hosted with Nigeria’s Ministry of Petroleum Resources in Abuja in 2025.
In February 2026, Nigeria and the IEA signed a memorandum of understanding at the IEA Ministerial Meeting in Paris to deepen cooperation on policy dialogue, data exchange, capacity building and international engagement.
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