Salisu Isihak

Senior Business Advisor to the Managing Director

Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd.

Dr. Salisu Isihak is a multiple award-winning energy professional, sustainability advocate, and corporate strategist with nearly two decades of experience across downstream petroleum, renewable-energy deployment, energy modelling, and policy advisory. He currently serves as Senior Business Advisor to the Managing Director of NNPC Retail Limited, where he helps drive strategic initiatives that strengthen nationwide energy access, operational excellence, and market competitiveness. His work spans retail fuels, LPG, CNG, lubricants, aviation, and emerging decarbonisation pathways—supporting NNPC Retail’s growth and its ambition to become Africa’s most innovative energy marketing company.


Previously, Dr. Isihak served as Senior Advisor to the Executive Director of the Rural Electrification Fund at the Rural Electrification Agency, contributing to clean-energy programmes targeting underserved communities, health facilities, productive-use sectors, and public institutions. His work supported Nigeria’s efforts toward achieving SDG7, advancing renewable-energy initiatives designed to reach millions through sustainable technologies and innovative financing models.


His career includes impactful roles within NNPC Retail, and the financial sector, where he led reforms that improved performance, expanded energy access, and enhanced organisational capability.


A frequent speaker at global energy forums, he has received grants and recognition from organisations such as UNIDO, the World Bank, the EU, and academic institutions across Africa, Europe, and North America. His work in energy modelling and access planning is widely referenced for advancing data-driven electrification planning.


Dr. Isihak holds a First-Class BSc in Economics from Usmanu Danfodiyo University and an MSc in Energy Economics (Distinction) from the University of Dundee and Ph.D in Sustainable Energy Development from De Montfort University, UK. He is a member of the Energy Institute (UK), SPE Abuja Section, and several professional networks across the sustainability ecosystem

Participates in

TECHNICAL PROGRAMME | Energy Leadership

Energy Access for All
Forum 25 | Technical Programme Hall 5
27
April
13:30 15:00
UTC+3
This study examines the potential contributions of renewable energy to achieving universal electricity access in Nigeria within the framework of sustainable energy transition. Specifically, we adopt the Open Source Spatial Electrification Tool (OnSSET) to carry out a GIS-based rural electrification assessment to examine the options for achieving universal electricity access in Nigeria to support sustainable energy transitions. We focus on Sokoto State, Nigeria. Based on OnSSET modelling, the total number of unelectrified settlements in the study area is estimated at 1,453 with a corresponding population of 1.28miilion. Our results show that mini-grid PV will be the least-cost electrification option for electrifying most of the unelectrified settlements. Based on our assumption of basic electricity demand, the cost of electrifying the settlements is estimated at US$231.4million, and the additional capacity that will be required will be 125MW. Given the large number of unelectrified settlements and the financial requirement for achieving universal electricity access, we proceed to prioritize the settlements using the multi-attribute utility theory (MAUT) and identify settlements that will have the highest utility if electrified based on five criteria: financial, economic, social, demographic and political. We conclude by noting that the technical, institutional, and governance constraints to achieving universal electrification in Nigeria are being addressed, however, the financial constraints persist. We recommend that financial support by multilateral development organizations should also include support for setting assembling or manufacturing facilities for renewable energy equipment in Nigeria as this will substantially reduce the cost of mini-grid projects as well as the associated risks of such projects in terms of cost recovery due to exchange rate fluctuations.  

TECHNICAL PROGRAMME | Energy Technologies

Advancing the Circular Economy & Value of Life Cycle Analyses
Forum 22 | Technical Programme Hall 4
29
April
10:00 11:30
UTC+3

TECHNICAL PROGRAMME | Energy Technologies

Advancing the Circular Economy & Value of Life Cycle Analyses
Forum 22 | Digital Poster Plaza 4
29
April
14:00 16:00
UTC+3
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