Twilight of the oil era: KWASU don warns Nigeria, advocates urgent shift toward post-petroleum future
By Mahmood Olayinka Alaya
As the world stands on the brink of a seismic energy shift, a leading scholar in Physical Chemistry at the Kwara State University (KWASU), Professor Olusola Oladele James, has canvassed the need for federal government to aggressively use the country’s oil wealth to prepare for a post-oil future.
While making a passionate appeal to the Nigeria’s government to follow the lead of countries like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, who are aggressively using their oil wealth to prepare for a post-oil future, the don said Petroleum is a finite resource, hence Nigeria must wisely invest its oil revenues now to build critical infrastructure that will sustain the country beyond the oil economy.
Delivering the nineteenth inaugural lecture of the Kwara State University, Malete titled “ Energy transition crisis, relapse cycles and twilights of petroleum era”, the Professor of Physical Chemistry, issued a stark warning to Nigeria, saying that the age of cheap oil is coming to an end and the country must act fast or be left behind.
Professor James, traced the global history of energy transitions from biomass to coal, and from coal to oil and forecasted an impending third shift.
“ We are not running out of oil just yet, but we are certainly running out of cheap oil. The era where petroleum flows endlessly and cheaply is drawing to a close. And unlike previous transitions, we haven’t found the next big energy source with higher density than oil, not even natural gas fits the bill”, Professor James cautioned.
He described the looming reality of ‘Peak Cheap Oil’, a critical point where global oil demand irreversibly outpaces affordable supply.
While climate change concerns have driven some conversation about renewables, Professor James argued that economics, not environmental activism, will ultimately dictate the pace of the next energy transition.
Looking ahead to COP 2025 scheduled to hold in Brazil, the professor tempered expectations, particularly for developing nations, warning that climate summits may turn into “annual jamborees” with limited real-world impact.
“ Let’s be realistic. The global economy is still powered overwhelmingly by oil. Many developed countries are themselves struggling to grow, mostly fueled by fossil energy. As such, CO₂ emission cuts often take a back seat to economic survival”, he said.
Professor James therefore called on governments, institutions, and citizens alike to end the illusion that oil is limitless.
He recommended a massive national reorientation campaign to reshape how Nigerians think about energy and consumption.
“ Oil is no longer cheap. We must stop wasting it. Let’s educate our people, starting from schools to boardrooms about the urgency of conserving energy and preparing for alternatives”, the don said.
Commending the proactive steps of Kwara State University, Professor James mentioned the institution’s partnership under the UNESCO Chair on Alternative Energy, praising the establishment of the Centre for Sustainable Energy, which already powers parts of the university through its solar farm.
The inaugural lecturer recommended that as the university expands its solar capacity, it should embrace a distributed energy system, rather than a centralized one, to ensure efficiency and resilience.
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