Climate Change: Buhari reiterates Nigeria’s strong commitment to Energy Transition Plan

President Muhammadu Buhari has restated the commitment of the Nigerian government towards ensuring that there is a rapid and strategic transition to renewable energy.

He said this would be in response to the world-wide efforts for the preservation of the environment.

Mr Femi Adesina, the President’s media aide, said in a statement on Thurday that Buhari was speaking at a Leaders’ Closed-Door Meeting on Climate Change convened by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres.

The meeting, according to Adesina, is coming before the commencement of the COP27 in November this year, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York, United States.

At the meeting, the Nigerian leader stressed that his administration had, in August this year, launched a home-grown, data-backed, multi-pronged energy transition plan.

He highlighted some of the details in the plan, saying it’s the country’s framework in achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.

The president said that through the use of emerging technologies and alternative fuels such as hydrogen, bioenergy and waste-to-energy, a pathway would be created for accelerated decarburization of energy systems and harnessing of new and diverse technologies.

According to him, this is aimed at ensuring low carbon development while aligning to our broader developmental aspirations in a fair and just manner.

Speaking further, the Nigerian leader said: ”The plan also sets out a timeline and framework for the attainment of emissions reduction across five key sectors: power, cooking, oil and gas, transport and industry.”

The president affirmed that gas would play a critical role as a transition fuel in Nigeria’s net-zero pathway, particularly in the power and cooking sectors.

”The clean energy goals of the plan include modernizing the power sector with large-scale integration of renewable energy, enhancing energy efficiency and conservation.

”This is expected to generate 250 gigawatts of installed energy capacity with over 90% made up of renewables.”

While expressing his confidence that the plan would put the nation on the path of prosperity, Buhari said that a careful implementation would create significant investment opportunities.

He said it would also engender the establishment and expansion of industries related to solar energy, hydrogen and electric vehicles.

“It will guide Nigeria’s rapid transition to renewable energy and result in significant  job creation with up to 340,000 jobs created by 2030 and up to 840,000 jobs created by 2060 driven mainly by power, cooking and transport sectors,” he added.

He commended Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for his tireless efforts in the preparations for the COP27 and  assured him of the support of the Nigerian Government.