Nigeria has officially joined the International Energy Agency (IEA) as an Association country, becoming the 14th member of the program and strengthening cooperation on global energy security and sustainable development.

The IEA said Nigeria's membership reflects its growing role in global energy markets as Africa's largest oil producer and one of the continent's fastest-growing renewable energy markets.

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol welcomed the move, saying it marks a milestone for global energy governance, while Nigeria's Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the partnership will support the country's efforts to expand energy access, strengthen energy security, and drive industrialization.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) is a Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organization established in 1974.

Originally created to coordinate responses to major oil supply disruptions, its mandate has since broadened to provide comprehensive policy recommendations, data, and analysis on global energy security, economic development, and environmental protection