By Abbas Nazil
Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, the consortium that recently acquired Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria’s (SPDC) assets and operations, has pledged a strong commitment to environmental sustainability and regulatory collaboration.
It made the pledge during its maiden visit to the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) in Abuja.
The courtesy visit, led by Renaissance’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Tony Attah, marked the first official engagement between the new energy company and the country’s chief environmental regulator for the petroleum sector.
In a meeting with NOSDRA’s Director-General and Chief Executive, Engr. Chukwuemeka Woke, the Renaissance delegation reaffirmed its intent to uphold and strengthen existing environmental standards and practices established during SPDC’s tenure.
Attah described the visit as historic and significant, emphasizing NOSDRA’s crucial role in Nigeria’s environmental regulatory landscape.
He noted that Renaissance’s mission is not to replace Shell but to introduce a new energy vision centered on clean, sustainable, and accessible energy, particularly in addressing energy poverty across the African continent, where about 60 percent of the population still lacks access to power.
Renaissance, according to Attah, aims to become a leader in clean energy generation across Africa.
The company plans to prioritize gas as a cheap and clean energy source to drive industrialization, revenue generation, and everyday energy needs like automobile fuel and cooking gas.
He expressed the company’s desire to support Nigeria’s energy transition goals while maintaining close collaboration with NOSDRA in ensuring that environmental regulations are strictly observed.
In response, NOSDRA’s Director-General, Engr. Woke, welcomed the Renaissance team and expressed appreciation for their timely and symbolic visit.
He affirmed the agency’s commitment to maintaining a cordial and effective partnership with Renaissance, much like the one it had with SPDC.
Engr. Woke underscored that NOSDRA’s mandate is to ensure compliance with international environmental standards and enforce the law where necessary.
Highlighting ongoing concerns in the oil and gas sector, Woke reminded Renaissance that with the acquisition of Shell’s assets comes the responsibility for its liabilities.
The DG pointed to critical environmental issues such as the Bodo oil spill cleanup and remediation, calling on Renaissance to actively address outstanding environmental obligations left behind by Shell.
He also emphasized the importance of adhering to the polluter pays principle, particularly in cases where third-party interference like pipeline vandalism or illegal refining is not the cause of oil spills.
Woke urged Renaissance to show genuine commitment to environmental stewardship by taking responsibility for cleanup efforts and damage assessments in affected communities.
He noted that stakeholders in the industry remain concerned about the readiness of companies to pursue both energy security and environmental sustainability.
