By Obiabin Onukwugha
Trinidad and Tobago High Commissioner to Nigeria, Wendell De Landro, has rebuked Nigeria for allowing multinational oil companies to flare its gas.
He was speaking at the 8th Energy Summit of Solewant Group, held at Alode Eleme, Rivers State, during the weekend, with the theme: “Pioneering Technology and Innovation for Transition to Sustainable Energy Development in Africa.”
Citing example of how his country has utilised its gas for clean energy, Landro expressed dismay that the Nigerian government has failed to stop oil multinationals from flaring its gas because of lack of political will.
The High Commissioner, who formerly worked with Shell, said Nigeria needs to build Gas Stations that can be used to reserve the abundant gases and adopt clean energy.
He stressed the need for Nigeria to stop gas flaring, not exploration of fossil fuel.
Experts at the summit expressed the need for African countries to utilize their natural resources in order to effectively transition to clean energy.
In his presentation titled: “Exploring Oil Sector Innovations for Energy Transition in Africa,” the Dean, School of Engineering Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Prof. Remigius Uche, posited that Africa’s experience has proven that continued use of fossil fuel as primary source of energy has failed to address the energy challenges in the continent, especially in Nigeria.
The professor of mechanical engineering stated that despite possessing about 125 billion barrels of oil reserve, which is about 7.2 percent of the world’s total crude, and 17.89 trillion standard cubic meters of gas as reported in 2023, Africa’s per capita energy consumption is lower than global average.
He stated that for Nigeria and the entire Africa to effectively achieve their energy transition plan, they must adopt a robust sustainable development plan and utilize emerging and clean energy sources such as LNG, CNG and Carbon capture.
Earlier in his Address, the Group Managing Director, Solewant Group, Mr. Solomon Ewanehi, stated that the Summit stands as a premier platform for advancing innovation, collaboration and sustainability in Africa’s energy sector.
He said the summit was designed to drive innovation in energy technology and sustainability, foster collaboration between industry stakeholders, policy makers, and academia, and as well, explore pathways to addressing Africa’s energy challenges to boost opportunities.
“With the theme for this year’s summit, the event underscores the urgent need for adaptable, forward-thinking solutions that meet Africa’s unique energy demands while supporting global sustainability goals,” he stated. END