As nations continue to move towards renewable energy transition, the Federal Government has insisted that Nigeria will remain at the vanguard of the crusade for a multifaceted energy transition timetable that will attract more investments for Africa.
The Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva said this on Sunday, on the heels of a collective decision by African petroleum and energy ministers to present a common voice at COP 27, in Egypt, in November, for Africa to be allowed to continue to exploit its hydrocarbon deposits for the development of the continent.
According to him, Nigeria will continue to drive the direction of the narrative for the African energy transition programme.
“We have stood out to say no to a single track energy transition programme and had and will continue to support a transition agenda that will promote gas and renewed investments in the hydrocarbon sector for Africa.
“Nigeria will continue to advocate for gas as a transition fuel for Africa. We have said that we can not move at the same pace with the rests of the world because we contribute less that 2% of the global green house gas emission. We are not the problem and we can not be made to pay for the sins we did not commit,” he said.
Speaking at the just concluded Cerraweek, in Houston, United States of America, African ministers led by Sylva, and Egyptian Energy Minister Terek el Molla resolved to project a common front in the energy transition timetable for Africa.
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According to Sylva, Africa currently has huge hydrocarbon deposits which must not be abandoned at this time.
“Some African countries like Ghana, Angola and others are just coming to the table and should they just abandon what they have because some countries are saying we should develop renewable energy? That will be an unfair decision,” Sylva said.
“We are not saying we won’t be part of the transition train for renewable energy but what we are saying as Africans is that we should be allowed to develop our natural resources and enjoy the God given resources. Am happy that the world is beginning to listen to Africa and we are happy about that and we intend to build on that momentum at COO 27, in Egypt by coming out with a common position.
“For anyone to say we (Africans) should abandon our abundant hydrocarbon deposits for the uncertainties of renewable energy is most unfair. As we speak today, we still have people without clean cooking fuels.
“In Africa we have over 600 million people without basic energy, so how do we meet their energy base load? We can only achive this through gas. It’s only through a multi-prong approach that we can achieve this. It is obvious that we cannot move at the same pace with the rest of the world as far as the energy transition programme is concerned,” he said.
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