ABSTRACT
Harnessing and managing energy resources for sustainable development goes beyond generating new integrated knowledge towards actively applying this knowledge to real energy problems, helping decision-makers evaluate the possible benefits and pitfalls of different response options, and facilitating implementation of required actions. Very critical is an arrangement designed and used by (or for) a group to govern itself including considerations of the allocation and distribution of political power and for developing incentive structures as an essential ingredient of any strategy for managing energy resources for sustainable development. This paper adopted Socio-technical system and Actor-Network Theory in explaining such interaction and network among the institutions in the energy system. Such institutional arrangement must, among other things, reflect the current energy policy intent and directions, have appropriate legal and regulatory framework for effective organisational management and control, and strengthen the energy ministry as the coordinating institutions for all energy sector and subsector activities in the country. However, various crises in the energy sector and its accompanying socioeconomic and political challenges are acknowledgement of inadequate governance structure. This paper employs largely the qualitative method of analysis to show the inadequacies of the hitherto energy policies and governance structures. It then recommends a framework that provides a strong, inclusive and broad-based governance institution which will enhance effective coordination, direction and management of energy sector activities in Nigeria. In addition, it enjoins the government to create different governance institutions such as the National Fund on Energy Resources Research (NFERR) National Research Council on Energy Resources (NRCER), National Council on Energy Resources Management (NCERM), among other, with specific roles as a cue from the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology’s (FMST) National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy.
