By Ali Elias
Renowned energy expert and former Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji, will deliver the 2025 edition of The Bullion Lecture, themed “Architecting the Energy Sector for Nigeria’s $1-Trillion Economy Vision.” The lecture is scheduled for Thursday, April 10, at 10:00 a.m. at The Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Professor Nnaji, Founder and CEO of Geometric Power Limited—Nigeria’s pioneer private power company—is globally recognized for his outstanding contributions to the energy sector. He is a recipient of three national honours: Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), and the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM).
In public service, he was appointed to the National Energy Council in 2009. He later served as Special Adviser to the President on Power between 2010 and 2011, Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Power from June 2010 to July 2011, and Minister of Power from 2011 until his resignation in August 2012. During his tenure, he led the landmark unbundling and privatization of NEPA, a transformative step in Nigeria’s power sector reform.
Nnaji’s academic credentials are equally impressive. He was a Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Massachusetts from 1983 to 1996. From 1996 to 2007, he held the William Kepler Whiteford and ALCOA Foundation Professorships at the University of Pittsburgh. He is also a recipient of the prestigious Baker Distinguished Research Award—the highest given by the International Institute of Industrial Engineers—and the World Bank/IMF Africa Group Distinguished Scientist Award in 1998.
Organized by the Centre for Financial Journalism (CFJ), The Bullion Lecture provides a platform for critical discourse on national and global economic development. According to a statement by Ray Echebiri, Founder and CEO of the CFJ, the 2025 edition is the ninth in the series.
The lecture will feature Adebayo Adelabu, Nigeria’s Minister of Power, as the Special Guest of Honour. Tolulope Longe, National President of Women in Energy Oil and Gas (WEOG), will serve as Chairperson.
Following the lecture, a panel discussion will feature key voices in the energy and business sectors. Among them are Victor Okoronkwo, Group Managing Director of Aiteo E&P, and Ogho Okiti, CEO of ThinkBusiness Africa and Convener of the Africa Business Convention.
The event will attract a high-profile audience that includes government officials, business leaders, financial executives, lawyers, ICT professionals, members of the diplomatic corps, multilateral organizations, academics, journalists, and the general public.