By OLASUNKANMI ONIFADE

The Minister of Youth Development, Mr. Ayodele Olawande, has emphasized that embracing green technology and digital tools is essential for securing Nigeria’s future in energy and industrial development.

Speaking in Abuja on Friday at the third Technology Ecosystem Dialogue organized by Young Innovators Nigeria (YIN), Olawande, represented by Senior Adviser Mr. Obinna Ebirim, highlighted the urgency of investing in young talent and innovation.

The dialogue, themed “Green Tech and Energy Revolution: Transforming Business and Society”, brought together innovators, government officials, and stakeholders to discuss sustainable digital and energy solutions for Nigeria’s development.

Olawande stressed the need to carry everyone along, especially rural communities and young women, insisting that the green and digital future “is not on the horizon; it is already here.”

He said technology was powering economies, redefining business models, and helping young Nigerians solve problems that once seemed impossible, and must now be accessible and inclusive to all.

According to him, the future of Nigeria will be shaped by digital codes, powered by renewable energy, and driven by the creativity and resilience of its young population.

Olawande noted that platforms like the dialogue were essential to help youth transition from “learning to earning,” “dreaming to doing,” and from “innovating to scaling,” through actionable engagement and support.

He said the ministry recognized youth creativity as Nigeria’s greatest national asset, and such initiatives offered tangible pathways to contribute to economic growth and global leadership in tech.

Chairman, House Committee on Renewable Energy, Rep. Victor Ogene, called for digitalization as a cornerstone of energy transformation, including smart metering, remote monitoring, and AI-driven systems to improve transparency and performance.

Ogene cited data showing digital monitoring cuts downtime by 30 per cent, and mobile-enabled payments raise collection efficiency from 60 per cent to more than 90 per cent, critical metrics for scaling national access.

He said Nigeria still had 85 million people without electricity, and connecting just 25 per cent through digital mini-grids and solar homes could generate 200,000 jobs and reduce CO? emissions significantly.

Ogene pledged the National Assembly’s support in aligning energy policy with youth innovation, adding that renewable energy must go beyond policy to tap the energy, ideas, and creativity of young Nigerians.

He cited the International Energy Agency’s data showing Nigeria hosts over 60 million small generators, costing 22 billion dollars annually in diesel, a model he described as unsustainable and environmentally harmful.

With digital-enabled systems, Ogene said those generators could be replaced with clean energy that was up to 40 per cent cheaper per kilowatt-hour and better suited for rural and peri-urban communities.

Director-General of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, represented by Head of R&D, Balance Tyoden, said citizens, youth, and women must become co-owners, not bystanders, in Nigeria’s energy transformation.

He stressed that renewable technologies like solar mini-grids and home systems could improve lives, but warned that technology alone wasn’t enough; national innovation portfolios must drive inclusive growth.

Aliyu emphasized that young innovators should be central to energy policymaking to ensure energy equity, industrial growth, and local job creation in rural and urban areas alike.

Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Abdullahi, represented by his Senior Adviser, Lukman Lamid, said green technology was now an imperative, requiring unified action from government, academia, and private sector players.

He assured stakeholders that NITDA was ready to collaborate across sectors to ensure Nigeria not only benefited from green technology but also led Africa in its adoption and implementation.

Abdullahi said the vision was for a future that was digitally empowered, sustainably powered, and inclusively built through smart collaboration and youth-led innovation in energy and digital infrastructure.

President of Young Innovators Nigeria, Andrew Agbo, said the dialogue was a platform for showcasing youth-led solutions in energy, aimed at fixing national energy challenges and ensuring long-term food security.

Agbo said energy was directly tied to food systems, and Nigeria could not progress without addressing both simultaneously, clean energy could unlock the potential of agriculture and rural development.

He said the programme was aimed at helping Nigeria achieve energy independence, empowering local innovators, and creating sustainable, youth-led solutions to improve access to electricity and food for all citizens. (NAN)