The House of Representatives Committee on Renewable Energy has unveiled plans for a new bill that will mandate the creation of green jobs across Nigeria, with a clear focus on women and youth inclusion.
Chairman of the committee, Afam Ogene, disclosed this at the Africa Policy Dialogue (APD) Kick-off Workshop on Green Jobs and Low Carbon Transition held at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
The proposed legislation, known as the National Inclusive Green Jobs Act (NIGJA), aims to link renewable energy investments with employment generation, targeted skills development, and inclusive participation of underrepresented groups.
Ogene said the bill builds on resolutions from the inaugural Legislative Conference on Renewable Energy held earlier this year, and forms a major part of the committee's roadmap for achieving inclusive energy transition.
He said the bill will align with regional trade goals under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and ensure that green investments translate into measurable job creation.
"For Nigeria to achieve meaningful and sustainable development, prioritising the interests of women and youth is crucial," Ogene said.
The lawmaker commended Speaker Tajudeen Abbas for establishing the Committee on Renewable Energy as a full standing committee, a first in Nigeria's legislative history.
The bill also seeks to back a recent House resolution mandating all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to transition to renewable energy sources. Work is already underway to give the resolution legal backing.
Ogene cited ongoing initiatives such as the Solar Power Naija programme, Next-Gen RESCO, and the DARES project, which are already generating thousands of green jobs. The Next-Gen RESCO alone is projected to create 10,000 jobs in the near term.
According to him, Nigeria's Energy Transition Plan could generate 340,000 direct renewable energy jobs by 2030 and up to 840,000 by 2060.
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However, he noted that women and youth remain underrepresented in technical and decision-making roles across the sector. Women hold only 8% of STEM-related roles in the energy space, and youth represent just 28% of formal jobs in distributed renewable energy.
To address this, Ogene called for gender-responsive policies, targeted technical training, and job guarantees for government-funded green projects.
He also identified a major skills gap in solar panel installation, engineering, and systems operation, and highlighted the country's heavy dependence on imported renewable energy components—despite having raw materials locally.
"This is not just a workforce problem; it is a policy problem," he said, urging support for local manufacturing and vocational training.
Also speaking at the event, Victoria Manya of the INCLUDE Knowledge Platform called for a labour-centered energy transition that targets unemployment and systemic exclusion.
She said INCLUDE fully supports the proposed green jobs bill and a complementary National Green Skills and Employment Alliance (NGSEA), aimed at developing renewable energy job pathways for women and youth.
Manya warned that without deliberate reforms, Nigeria risks reproducing existing inequalities under the guise of climate action.
The Africa Policy Dialogue brought together stakeholders from UNDP, Women in Renewable Energy, civil society organisations, and lawmakers. Outcomes from the session will feed into the draft legislation.
