• Friday, March 29, 2024
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‘When Nigeria’s energy mix is developed and efficiently utilised, we will have energy security’

Debo – SPE Chairman

DEBO FAGBAMI is the Chairman, Society of Petroleum Engineer (SPE), Nigeria Council, and also Chief Operating Officer at Xenergi Limited. In this interview with FRANK UZUEGBUNAM, Fagbami talks about development of Nigeria’s energy sector in 2019, impact of renewables in Africa, energy security in the country, amongst other issues. Excerpts:

What are your expectations for the development of Nigeria’s energy sector in 2019?

The year 2019 comes on the back of two years of relative stability and progress in the energy sector. This comes against the backdrop of positive reforms in the power sector since the return to civil rule in 1999. There was an increase in daily crude oil production in 2018 from 2017 levels and a corresponding increase in revenue across the same period. The passage into law of the PIGB (a sub-set of the PIB) though awaiting Presidential sign-off, is expected to create a more efficient and effective working environment within the industry with separation of roles to create a more commercially driven and business-oriented national oil entity. This would in turn promote accountability and transparency across the entire value chain, thus, creating the right environment for oil and gas operations and investments.

Having said this, the delayed Presidential sign-off of the PIGB into law is raising doubts amongst investors who may begin to look outside Nigeria and into the emerging markets in other parts of the continent. Another developmental driver in Nigeria’s energy sector is the flare gas regulation that was gazetted into law under the National Flare Gas Commercialization Program (NGFCP). Under the NGFCP, the federal government is able to take ownership of all flare points free of cost and pulled into a basket for interested parties to bid competitively. This regulation would eliminate gas flares and any identified flare points post implementation would be subject to severe tax penalties on the part of successful bidders. Projects that would evolve out of the NGFCP would also further increase the energy resource base of the country with attendant job creation across the entire value chain and lead to acquisition of new skill set and/or skills conversion in certain cases. Overall, the energy sector in 2019 is geared towards positive growth and development, buoyed by the impending kick off of the PIGB as well as other innovative regulations and reforms to stimulate economic activity.

How do you see renewables impacting Africa’s power scenario in the next 10-15 years?

First, the global shift to renewable sources of energy is bound to have a ripple effect on Africa. The cumulative power generation of sub-Saharan Africa currently stands at 40 GW if you exclude South Africa and according to IEA, to meet Africa’s energy needs would require a yearly spend of close to $50b. The implication of this is that African countries, particularly the new kids on the block would need to invest a significant portion of their windfall from oil sales into power generation, transmission and distribution projects. Renewables would have a significant role to play in power generation, although it is important to recognize that though the developmental costs of renewable energy projects have dropped due to advancements in research and technology, the costs remain high in comparative terms to fossil fuels particularly for African countries.

Power projects in Africa are infamous for taking a long time to go from planning to completion. How do think operators and investors should cope with these issues and how can governments mitigate these problems?

The key to ensuring the successful execution of power projects lies in formulating the right policy framework (fiscal and legal) to encourage investments and drive sustainable activity in that sector. The value chain must be set up in such a way as to deliver affordable and sustained power to the last mile consumers while allowing operators to recover their investment, thus, creating a viable commercial ecosystem for all stakeholders including government. Governments of African countries need to create an enabling environment free of severe risk to investors so as to stimulate activity and grow the sector exponentially. The Nigerian model of having a bulk electricity purchaser provides a platform for operators to sell and deliver power directly to the grid thus ensuring security of power offtake on a grand scale.

How are greater environmental awareness and tighter regulations resulting in gas comprising a greater proportion of the energy mix in Nigeria?

Regulation and/or legislation has not created the desired impact in developing gas as a key portion of the energy mix in Nigeria. The government’s driver for enforcing the development of gas has always been linked to the negative impact of gas flaring on the environment and from these we have had a succession of gas flare-out directives and legislations that have had little or no impact in changing the status quo. I would say that the recent initiative from Nigeria’s Honorable Minister of Petroleum Resources via the National Gas Flare-out and Commercialization Program (NGFCP) has been by far the most encouraging and stimulating program to drive gas development projects on a sustainable economic basis. The NGFCP is linked to an economic driver which allows for the transparent commercial bidding for all unutilized gas flares by interested parties who are able to demonstrate prior experience and capability in developing gas projects either alone, in alliance or consortium basis.

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Energy poverty remains a serious obstacle to economic and human development in the country.  Do you see a disconnect policies?

Policy drives socio-economic development and its sustainability is largely dependent on formulation of the right policies to allow for efficient business operations. Citizens of all nations as well as businesses require access to reliable energy at affordable prices on a sustainable basis with minimal risk and supply interruptions. From this standpoint, Nigeria remains in a situation of serious energy deficit and the key to unlocking the power potential of a country blessed with an abundance of the resources required to deliver on its power needs is hinged on policies that would sufficiently drive investments and enforce transparency, accountability and sound management of its resource base.

Why is local content regulation necessary? What is your definition of a fair and effective local content policy?

First, I must draw a distinction between Nigerian Content and Local Content to put things in the proper perspective. Nigerian Content is the quantum of composite value added to or created in the Nigerian economy through a targeted utilisation of Nigerian human and material resources, while Local Content is adding and/or creating value in the Nigerian economy through a deliberate use of Nigerian entrepreneurship in a similar context. This distinction points to the fact that without indigenous players or entrepreneurs, there is no local content. Nigerian content requirements can be met by non-Nigerian entities but this is not the case with local content. A fair and effective local content policy must thus take into cognizance the need to grow indigenous capacity particularly in the area of provision of services to the oil and gas industry.

There has been an active drive by Nigerian entrepreneurs to promote local content, with the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) taking an active lead in this regard. On its own part, government, through the Nigerian Content Monitoring and Development Board (NCDMB) must create a framework to integrate government policy with the technology needs of the industry, identify competent Nigerian entities with sufficient capacity to take the drivers’ seat while ensuring effective monitoring and compliance by oil and gas operators to ensure that this process is not circumvented or undermined.

Please give us an overview of SPE’s presence in Nigeria?

SPE started in Nigeria as the Lagos Section in 1973 and since then it has evolved into 5 Sections or geographic clusters – Abuja, Benin, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Warri. These 5 Sections cover a total of 34 Student Chapters which include mainly Universities and Polytechnics with Petroleum Engineering as part of their curriculum. The member count in Nigeria currently stands in excess of 11,000 members and students with membership open to all professionals engaged in energy resources development and production.

Our activities in Nigeria include our traditional flagship programs for students, young professionals and other professionals, development programs like short courses, monthly technical meetings and distinguished lecture series. Finally, there are a variety of young member development programs targeted at Universities, Secondary Schools and Primary School students to aid their developmental flair for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

What are your expectations for the SPE #OLEF2019 and how can it foster the growth of Nigeria’s energy economy? 

The objective of SPE’s Oloibiri Lecture and Energy Forum (OLEF) 2019 is to stimulate discussions on how Nigeria’s energy sector can move forward along a path to sustainability. Through OLEF, SPE is providing the platform for government, regulatory agencies, captains of industry, and practitioners at all levels to sit together to discuss and come up with ways Nigeria can develop energy that has little or no carbon footprint, develop efficient systems that require lesser energy to run and on how we can use Nigeria’s oil and gas resources to support the nation’s economic growth for the benefit of all stakeholders. We believe that when Nigeria’s energy mix is developed and efficiently utilised, we will have energy security, green jobs, greater national wealth for the people and foster sustainable growth and development in Nigeria.