Rite Foods positions industry as catalyst for Nigeria’s clean energy transition

Leading Nigerian food and beverage manufacturer, Rite Foods Limited, has underscored the pivotal role of industry in driving Nigeria’s clean energy transition, as it hosted the Clean Energy Day 2026 Stakeholders Interactive Session at its corporate office in Lagos on Friday.

The high-level forum, organised to commemorate the International Day of Clean Energy, convened policymakers, sustainability experts and key industry stakeholders to deliberate on the theme: “Nigeria’s Clean Energy Transition: Balancing Risks, Trade-offs & Opportunities for Sustainable Growth.”

Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of Rite Foods Limited, Seleem Adegunwa, represented by the General Manager, Corporate Planning and Strategy, Mrs. Barong Asiodu, said the company’s investment in clean energy is already yielding measurable business and environmental gains.

Asiodu revealed that Rite Foods currently operates a hybrid energy system that prioritises renewable and cleaner energy sources, with its manufacturing plants powered by 95 per cent natural gas and solar energy, and only five per cent dependence on Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).

She disclosed that over the past five years, the company has avoided an estimated 106,506 pounds of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions. According to her, this environmental impact is comparable to planting about 3.2 million trees over a 10-year period or supplying electricity to roughly 200,000 households for one year.

Asiodu added that Rite Foods plans to further expand its solar installations across its facilities, stressing that clean energy should no longer be viewed as a trade-off between growth and sustainability. Instead, she described it as a driver of competitiveness, operational resilience and long-term cost efficiency for businesses.

In his opening remarks, the Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Rite Foods, Ekuma Eze, described the global energy transition as an “extremely hot topic,” influenced by geopolitics, sustainability demands and economic survival, particularly for fossil fuel–dependent economies such as Nigeria.

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Eze noted that while renewable energy offers significant climate and environmental benefits, it also comes with risks, including competition for critical minerals, high upfront capital requirements, recycling challenges for end-of-life solar panels and the risk of energy shortages if the transition is poorly managed.

“For the average manufacturer in Nigeria, energy accounts for between 35 and 40 per cent of total production costs,” he said. “The key challenge is how to balance sustainability, cost leadership and business continuity, while aligning with Nigeria’s net-zero target by 2060.”

Delivering the keynote address, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Climate Change and Circular Economy, Mrs. Titilayo Oshodi, outlined Lagos State’s ongoing efforts to build a zero-carbon and climate-resilient economy. She highlighted initiatives such as the 80-million clean coastal projects and expanded climate finance frameworks aimed at strengthening climate adaptation and mitigation.

Oshodi emphasised that Nigeria’s energy transition must be “just and inclusive,” given widespread energy poverty and the nation’s dependence on fossil fuel revenues.

She disclosed that while about 61 per cent of Nigerians currently have access to electricity, supply reliability remains a major challenge. She also noted that more than 175 million Nigerians still lack access to clean cooking energy, posing serious health and environmental risks.

The session reinforced calls for stronger collaboration between government and industry to ensure a balanced, sustainable and economically viable clean energy transition for Nigeria.