The Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN) has listed complex regulations and inadequate energy infrastructure as challenges facing Nigeria’s energy sector.

This was stated in a communiqué issued at the end of the association’s 2024 International Conference and Annual General Meeting in Calabar on Monday.

In the communiqué signed by the national president, Adebisi Osim and the secretary, Tolulope Erinosho, APWEN also identified insufficient application of artificial intelligence in renewable energy solutions as another challenge.

The women engineers further said that limited gas storage capacity arising from insufficient gas infrastructure was also a challenge to the energy sector.

The association held that the challenges had created barriers to energy sector entrepreneurship.

“The barriers are limited funding opportunities for startups, inflation, foreign exchange gaps and inadequate public-private partnerships, among others,” the association said.

APWEN recommended deliberate efforts towards integrating renewable energy sources into the national grid and prioritising improved energy storage innovations in the country.

The association said that policies governing energy usage and sustainability should be crafted and implemented by qualified and experienced professionals.

“Startups must scale up production to meet the growing demand for power by low-income households.

“Public awareness of bio-fuels as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels should be heightened as part of Nigeria’s decarbonisation strategy,” it said.

APWEN further said that women engineers should be given opportunities to play leadership roles in the energy sector and bring diverse perspectives to address the challenges in the system.

“Efforts to eliminate gender biases within the engineering profession should be built into the law of the country for fairness and equity,” the association said.

(NAN)