Towards Systematic Energy Efficiency: The Smart Efficiency Framework for Sustainable Transitions in Nigeria and West Africa
Keywords:
Energy efficiency, Renewable energy transition, Smart efficiency framework (SEF), Smart grids, Smart systems, Sustainable energyAbstract
In emerging economies, where infrastructural development is surpassed by demand growth, energy efficiency is seen as a key driver of sustainable energy transitions. This paper presents a theoretical analysis of energy efficiency through the lens of neo-Nano's Smart Efficiency Framework (SEF), which attempts to take technological, analytical and institutional dimensions together into one system. Rather than treating energy efficiency as a single technical issue, SEF considers it to be primarily based on smart sensing infrastructures (Tier I), predictive intelligence tools (Tier II), and institutional alignment mechanisms (Tier III). In the paper, which looks at literature on smart systems and energy efficiency worldwide as well as at regional ones, it is noted that developed economies struggle with interoperability, cybersecurity or scalability while Nigeria/West Africa has infrastructural deficits, non-cost-reflective tariffs and weak regulatory institutions. Through SEF, we propose a gradual process of adoption that is tailored to the local context, beginning with fundamental investments in metering and monitoring, moving towards predictive analytics, and concluding with governance reforms. Theoretically, SEF advances energy system scholarship by considering efficiency as a multiplicative and interrelated process instead of just one intervention. While in practice it provides a roadmap to policymakers, regulators and industry actors for measurable efficiency gains in West Africa and Nigeria. A quantitative model of SEF and its applicability across various developing countries is recommended for future research. SEF contributes to the discussion on sustainable energy futures by integrating efficiency into intelligent, systemic, and context-sensitive approaches.
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