By Adetutu Audu

Energy is not just a commodity or a utility; it is the enabler of everything from industrial productivity to digital connectivity, from healthcare access to educational opportunity.

Energy consultant and expert, Endurance Olowo has reiterated that getting energy policy right is not optional but essential because of its foundational role in driving development. Government policies are absolutely foundational to shaping the trajectory of the energy sector, particularly in a complex and evolving market like Nigeria and other markets in Africa and even the globe.

Speaking in an interview,Olowo reflected on the pivotal role energy plays in human and economic advancement, particularly across Africa and emerging markets like Nigeria,he is compelled by the sheer scale of both the challenge and the opportunity.

“Growing up and beginning my career in Nigeria, I saw firsthand how energy access can transform communities, but also how millions continue to live without reliable power. I grew up using kerosene lamps to study for exams and wondered how much more I could do, if I had access to reliable power. That exposure instilled in me a deep awareness of the dual energy challenge we face today: how do we meet the surging demand for energy, especially in rapidly urbanizing and youthful populations across Africa, while also ensuring we do so in a sustainable way that doesn’t compromise our planet?”

It’s not just about technology or capital, it’s about shaping policies, building partnerships, and crafting business models that are resilient, equitable, and forward-looking. This is where I see the greatest need and the greatest potential. Africa in particular has an opportunity to leapfrog into cleaner, distributed energy systems that can underpin long-term economic resilience. And I want to be part of that story, as a strategic voice driving the agenda.

The energy sector challenges me intellectually and motivates me morally. It’s where systems thinking meet social impact. And for me, it’s not just a career, it’s a mission. He emphasized.

Olowo revealed that government policies are absolutely foundational to shaping the trajectory of the energy sector, particularly in a complex and evolving market like Nigeria and other markets in Africa and even the globe. ‘While the private sector is the engine that drives much of the activity across upstream, downstream, and clean energy sectors, it is ultimately policy that sets the direction of travel. The impact of government decisions is far-reaching. It determines where capital flows, how risks are priced, and whether long-term investment is viable.

Ultimately, if government policy is weak, fragmented, or unpredictable, capital will flow elsewhere. But when policy is strong, clear, consistent, and forward-looking, it catalyzes private sector action and foreign direct investment, which then translate to jobs, industrialization, and improved quality of life for citizens. So while the private sector might be the workhorse of the industry, it is government policy that holds the reins. In Nigeria, getting that policy right is not optional. It is essential. The work of the Energy Reforms office under the office of the President is commendable so far and the millions of people resident in Nigeria would be eager to see those reforms translate into tangible economic growth.

In the context of Nigeria, and much of Africa, the most significant challenge in the energy industry today Olowo said remains the persistent and widespread lack of access to reliable electricity. But beneath that surface lies a deeper structural issue: an overdependence on a centralized national grid that was never built to serve hundreds of millions of people, paired with chronic underinvestment, weak regulatory enforcement, and limited innovation in energy delivery models. It’s not just that people don’t have power, it’s that the system designed to deliver it is broken in too many places.

‘The grid is fragile, vulnerable to frequent collapses, technical losses, and distribution inefficiencies. Even when (moderate) generation capacity exists, transmission and distribution constraints mean that power simply doesn’t reach the people who need it. This over-reliance on a single national system has made energy access both unreliable and unsustainable. We need to shift our thinking. The future of energy in Nigeria is not just about fixing the grid; it’s about building beyond it’ he stated.

One critical solution Olowo said lies in expanding decentralized and captive power generation, which entails systems that serve communities, campuses, industrial zones, and even households directly. But access to finance remains a major barrier, particularly for young innovators and entrepreneurs who are ready to build and scale clean energy solutions but lack the capital to do so. Unlocking investment in these off-grid and near-grid systems could dramatically change the energy landscape, reducing dependence on the national grid and increasing resilience at the local level.

Olowo is a climate focused energy consultant. He holds a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering and a MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, consistently ranked as a top 10 U.S. business school.