The Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria, Svein Baera, has called for increased solar energy adoption among Nigerian businesses and stronger international cooperation to address climate change, pollution, and environmental degradation. He urged governments and the private sector to reduce dependence on fossil fuel-powered generators and transition towards cleaner energy alternatives. The envoy said accelerating solar energy adoption is critical to reducing emissions and improving environmental sustainability in Nigeria and beyond.
Baera made the remarks in Abuja during a World Environment Day event themed “Because There’s No Planet B,” organised in partnership with Nigerian artist Nike Davies-Okundaye, popularly known as Mama Nike. The event focused on environmental awareness, climate action, and sustainable practices.
The ambassador noted that environmental challenges such as plastic pollution, ocean degradation, and greenhouse gas emissions require urgent collective action from governments, businesses, and individuals across the world. He said climate change remains one of the most pressing global threats, requiring coordinated responses at multiple levels.
Nigeria, like many developing economies, continues to rely heavily on diesel generators due to unstable grid electricity supply, making the transition to renewable energy a key policy and economic discussion.
Baera emphasised that pollution and emissions from fossil fuels remain major contributors to climate change and must be urgently reduced.
“It’s World Environment Day today, and it’s important that we then use all kinds of ways to communicate the message that the world’s environment is not as it should be,” he said.
“There is a lot of plastic in the ocean. There are a lot of emissions causing climate change. So all good forces in all countries must work together to find better solutions of reducing pollution and reducing emissions to save the climate and the environment.”
He specifically encouraged businesses to consider solar energy adoption as a practical alternative to diesel generators widely used across Nigeria.
“For instance, to go from a diesel generator and try to invest in solar energy, that is clean energy,” Baera said.
The ambassador added that political leaders and governments must also strengthen cooperation to address environmental degradation through policy coordination and international partnerships.
“And politicians in all countries also need to work together. So we need more international cooperation to save our oceans, to save our climate, to have less pollution and a better world, a greener world for all of us,” he stated.
Baera disclosed that Norwegian companies are already supporting Nigeria’s transition toward cleaner energy by providing solar technology solutions for businesses.
“For instance, Norwegian companies are providing solar energy and solar technology to businesses in Nigeria, so that they can throw out the diesel generators and to have clean energy from the sun, which is plentiful in Nigeria,” he said.
He also referenced Norway’s Energy for Development programme, which supports capacity building in emissions reduction, including in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
“We also have a programme called Energy for Development, where we are transferring competence from Norway to Nigeria, for instance, in the area of having fewer emissions from the oil and gas sector,” he said.
Baera urged both Nigerian and Norwegian private sector actors to intensify efforts toward clean energy transition.
“But I think we need to point at the private sector, both the Norwegian private sector and the Nigerian private sector, to step up the transfer from fossil energy to clean energy from the sun,” he added. He also highlighted the role of individual behaviour in environmental protection, urging citizens to adopt cleaner habits and proper waste management practices.
The call for increased solar energy adoption highlights growing international pressure on Nigeria to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and embrace renewable energy solutions. Energy experts note that widespread adoption of solar power could reduce operating costs for businesses, improve environmental outcomes, and enhance energy security in the long term.
The partnership between the Norwegian Embassy and local stakeholders also underscores the role of international cooperation in driving climate action and promoting sustainable development practices.
Speaking at the event, Nike Davies-Okundaye urged Nigerians to embrace recycling and creative reuse of waste materials as both environmental and economic opportunities. She highlighted how discarded items such as plastics, textiles, and organic waste can be transformed into valuable products, artworks, and fashion items.
She said recycling initiatives are already generating income opportunities across multiple value chains, including waste collection, processing, and artistic production. According to her, greater awareness and support for recycling and creative industries could strengthen Nigeria’s circular economy while reducing environmental pollution.
