A former Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, CON, has authored the foreword to a new book titled “Renewable Energy: Law and Policy in Nigeria – A Crosscutting Perspective”, written by a legal scholar, Dr. Bitrus Joseph Bulama.
In the foreword dated May 1, 2025, the former Lagos Governor described the 12-chapter book as a timely and seminal contribution to the study of Nigeria’s renewable energy legal and policy framework.
He noted that although international efforts to promote renewable energy date back to the Montreal Protocol of 1987, the sector only began to gain traction in Nigeria about a decade later. He traced the evolution of Nigeria’s power sector, referencing the coming into force of the 1999 Constitution and the enactment of the Electric Power Sector Reform Act in 2005, which ended the government’s monopoly and initiated deregulation.
Reflecting on his assumption of office in November 2015 under President Muhammadu Buhari, Fashola explains that the Ministry of Power was in transition following the privatization of electricity generation and distribution networks in 2013 by the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
According to him, the ministry relinquished generation and distribution assets to private owners, along with over 5,000 staff, leaving it with fewer than 1,000 personnel and a mandate focused largely on policy formulation. From that point, the ministry and its leadership shifted from being power providers to policy enablers. Fashola recalls that policies and programmes became the primary instruments available to improve energy supply.
He cited the presentation of what he described as Nigeria’s first published Energy Mix Document, committing the country to 30 per cent renewable energy within a projected 30-gigawatt capacity by 2030. This was followed by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Policy in 2015, the MiniGrid Regulations in 2016, and the Building Energy Efficiency Code in 2017. He explained that this background informed his decision to accept Dr. Bulama’s invitation to write the foreword to the book.
According to Fashola, the book offers a comprehensive account of Nigeria’s renewable energy sector, beginning with a historical overview dating back to 1896, when the first power station was built in Lagos with an installed capacity of 60 kilowatts. He highlighted Chapter Four for its detailed examination of the legal, policy, and institutional frameworks governing the renewable energy sector in Nigeria.
Fashola identified Chapter Five as the core of the book, noting its discussion of challenges confronting renewable energy development in the country. Drawing from his experience supervising the sector, he stated that he shared many of the author’s views on these challenges, some of which were addressed through the Power Sector Recovery Programme developed during his tenure.
The foreword also referenced the establishment of public institutions such as the Rural Electrification Agency, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, the Transmission Company of Nigeria, the Energy Commission of Nigeria, and the National Council on Climate Change as evidence of government political will. Fashola further mentioned a contemporaneous budgetary appropriation for solar panel installation at the Presidency in 2025 as another demonstration of the government’s commitment to renewable energy leadership.
In his assessment, Fashola suggested that extensive, but undocumented investments in re- newable energy by households and businesses may mean that renewables already contribute more than 30 per cent of Nigeria’s national en- ergy consumption.
He noted that the book addresses the role of law in promoting investment in renewable energy in Chapter Six, and examines the rela- tionship between law, development, and access to electricity in Chapter Seven. Commending Dr. Bulama’s scholarly approach, Fashola stated that the author successfully presents complex industry concepts in clear and accessible language.
He described the book as a practical resource for policymakers, legal professionals, energy practitioners, researchers, opinion leaders, and environmental advocates interested in the interaction between law, policy, and energy in Nigeria. The over 900-page book is published by Bar and Bench Publishers, Abuja. It is positioned as a comprehensive reference for academics, researchers, policymakers, legal practitioners, regulatory agencies, energy developers, investors, students, and others seeking to navigate Nigeria’s renewable energy regulatory landscape.
Fashola concluded by recommending the book to readers seeking to understand the emerging field of renewable energy law in Nigeria. It will be presented to the public on February 11, 2026. Dr. Bulama is a highly accomplished legal practitioner, researcher, author, and policy analyst with a distinguished career spanning over two decades.
He holds a Ph.D. in Law with a strong bias for Energy and Natural Resources Law. His master’s degree is in Petroleum Law and policy from the prestigious Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy, University of Dundee, UK; while his first degree in law is from the University of Jos, Nigeria. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2003 after successfully completing the Nigerian Law School with a Second Class, Upper Division. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Law at the American University Nigeria, Yola.
A dedicated advocate for environmental and climate justice, he is the convener, Initiative for Climate Action and Advocacy, a not-for-profit organization that advocates for environmental and climate justice. Dr. B. J. Bulama is a highly accomplished individual with a strong background in law, energy, and environmental advocacy. His expertise and experience make him a valuable asset in his field.
