Uche Cecil Izuora
An energy expert, Professor Ekundayo Peter Mesagan, has said that energy transition is far more complex than simply substituting fossil fuels with renewables, as technological and cost constraints mean fossil fuels will remain part of the global energy mix for the foreseeable future.
Africa’s pathway, he stressed, cannot mirror Europe’s, because expanding energy access and supporting economic growth must remain urgent priorities alongside environmental goals.
Professor Mesagan, an economist, researcher and policy advisor whose work spans energy and environmental economics, industrial policy, natural resources and sustainable economic development.
Prof. Mesagan, while speaking at the Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos 26th Inaugural Lecture, further emphasised that natural resources do not determine a nation’s destiny; outcomes depend on the quality of governance, policy choices, innovation and investment. “The future belongs to countries that can transform challenges into opportunities,” he noted, underscoring the lecture’s central metaphor.
Through his research, teaching and engagement with policy and industry, Professor Mesagan continues to contribute to the understanding of some of the economic and environmental issues shaping Nigeria and the wider African continent.
Delivering the lecture titled “Making Lemonade from Lemons: The Fossil Energy & Sustainability Puzzle,” Prof. Mesagan examined the tension between the global push for environmental sustainability and the developmental realities of oil-rich and energy-deficientnations.
He highlighted the critical roles of technology, including cleaner industrial processes and carbon capture and storage, and financial systems aligned with sustainability priorities.
Energy transition, he added, cannot be separated from poverty reduction and improved energy access, and meaningful progress will require genuine collaboration among economists, engineers, policymakers, environmental scientists and other experts.
The event drew principal officers of the University, members of Senate, faculty, students, alumni, industry leaders, policymakers and members of the public.