LASU Professor Urges FG, Investors to Boost Renewable Energy Funding
A University of Lagos professor, Isaiah Akoteyon, has called on the Federal Government and private investors to increase funding for renewable energy technology to improve efficiency and support environmental sustainability.
Akoteyon, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences at the university, made the call on Thursday in Lagos during the Society of Energy Administrators of Nigeria’s 6th Annual Conference and Induction of Associate Members, 2026.
The conference, organised around the theme of energy processes, environmental standards, climate adaptation and sustainable communities, examined approaches to tackling climate change and improving urban development in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, Akoteyon said increased investment in research and development was necessary to improve renewable energy efficiency, develop better energy storage systems and strengthen integration with existing electricity grids.
He also stressed the importance of incorporating environmental concerns into government policies, adding that stricter regulations were needed to control emissions from fossil fuels.
According to him, effective environmental standards would help limit pollution while encouraging a shift towards cleaner and more sustainable energy sources.
The professor further urged governments and private investors to support energy-efficient technologies and expand public education on energy conservation.
He said public awareness campaigns could encourage households and businesses to adopt practices that reduce electricity consumption, lower carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency.
Akoteyon also identified access to energy and cross-border energy integration as important areas requiring attention, urging the professional body to consider the recommendations in its efforts to improve energy administration.
Meanwhile, a Director of Oil and Gas in the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Sesan Odukoya, expressed the state’s readiness to collaborate with the society to promote environmental protection.
Odukoya, who represented the General Manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Dr Babatunde Ajayi, commended the organisation for its initiatives aimed at maintaining a cleaner environment in Lagos and across Nigeria.
The Chairman of the Society of Energy Administrators, Dr Diran Fawibe, also praised the organisation’s leadership and members for their efforts to strengthen professional energy administration.
Fawibe acknowledged the society’s work and commended its management for advancing the organisation’s objectives.
Similarly, the Head of the Electrical Laboratory at the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Ismaila Lawal, described the society’s activities as significant and welcomed the organisation’s relationship with SON.
Lawal encouraged the society to formally engage the management of SON to facilitate greater participation in its activities.
Earlier, the President and Project Director of the Society of Energy Administrators, Dr Yekeen Adeboye, commended the Federal Government for supporting changes to electricity governance and promoting energy security across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Adeboye also praised President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its energy transition and climate policies, citing initiatives involving compressed natural gas (CNG), electric vehicles and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as alternative energy options.
He described the society as a professional body focused on energy operations and compliance administration, organised into two divisions responsible for energy process engineering compliance and energy compliance administration.
Adeboye assured members that the organisation would continue to contribute ideas and professional guidance towards advancing sustainable development in Nigeria and beyond.
The conference also featured the induction of new associate members, who took their oaths and received certificates.
