By Obas Esiedesa

Energy experts including the Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Osagie Okunbor have pushed back on global agitation against hydrocarbon production, saying energy transition must by fair and just, given the development needs of African countries.

Speaking at 15th National Conference of the Nigerian Association of Energy Economics, NAEE, in Abuja yesterday, the experts held that there must be flexibility in the push to attain net zero carbon globally because of developmental needs of countries.

The conference has the theme: Energy transition and climate change policy: Pathway for sustainable development in Africa.

Mr. Okunbor pointed out that while Africa’s population represents 17 percent of world’s population, carbon emission from the continent represents just three percent of global emission.

While acknowledging that climate change is real and energy transition has begun, he said Africa was in a peculiar situation with about 52 percent of its population without access to basic electricity.

“We need to carefully balance the need to achieve global net zero goals and closing the energy gap in the African continent. A just transition is at a fundamental level, one that balances the equally important objectives of economic development and growth, energy security, access and environmental sustainability”, he added.

Also speaking, the President of NAEE, Prof. Yinka Omoregbe pointed out that there is a huge energy access gap in Nigeria, with consumption rate far below global average.
She pointed out that about 25MW of electricity is needed annually by an individual to have a good and healthy life-style.

“Nigeria with 200 million people has a total installed capacity of 13,000MW. It means only 632.4 people can have good and healthy lives based on the energy that we produce. This is not just hopelessly deficient, a new English word has to be invented to describe the deficiency for 200 million people”, she stated.

On his part, the Executive Secretary of Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF, Bello Gusua said the fund was realigning its programme to also focus on building capacity to implement the ultimate transition from oil to gas.

Gusau who was represented by PTDF General Manager, Strategy Planning and Documentation, Mr. Jide Adebulehin pointed out that the declaration of the decade of gas with the 2021 enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act means Nigeria was prepared to move into gas development as its transition fuel.