By Emmanuel Elebeke – Abuja

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu, announced that Nigeria’s National Policy on Hydrogen will be in place by the end of February. This announcement was made on Tuesday during a courtesy visit from the Chairman of Foundation for Sustainable Social Responsibility in Emerging Africa, FOSSREA, Aliu Mijingawa.

According to Sen. Bagudu, the policy aims to create an inclusive and sustainable National Policy on Hydrogen that covers the entire value chain. The Federal government plans to invest intentionally in the sector, recognizing hydrogen’s potential as a clean and sustainable energy source.

“The absence of a robust hydrogen policy has hindered Nigeria’s progress in this sector,” Sen. Bagudu noted. “However, with this new policy, we aim to harness Nigeria’s potential and become a key player in the global hydrogen market.”

The Minister emphasized that Nigeria’s hydrogen policy will not be limited to energy alone but will involve a value chain that can cause a paradigm shift. He also highlighted the importance of international cooperation, citing Namibia’s success in absorbing $10 million in investment despite having a population of less than 10 million.

Sen. Bagudu pledged to work with stakeholders to provide the necessary support for the development of the hydrogen sector. He also promised to provide financial support to a pilot scheme to attract investors.

Earlier, the Chairman of FOSSREA
, Aliyu Mijingawa, listed the benefits of hydrogen to any economy, including provision of sulphur for fertilizer production, sustainable train and aviation fuel, and other potential applications.

The Director and Head of Department, International Cooperation, in the Ministry, Dr. Sampson Ebimaro, stated that the Hydrogen Plan policy for Nigeria is already underway. The next step will be to present the proposed policy draft to the Committee on the Whole of the House of Representatives with all relevant stakeholders to gather their inputs.

The representative of the Ministry in the joint Committee, Jessica, emphasized the need for Nigeria to borrow from the Namibia model to actualize its objectives in harnessing potentials in the sector.

The Federal Government had previously signed an agreement on the development of hydrogen with the Foundation in June 2024.

The Chairman of FOSSREA, Mr. Aliu Hydar Mijinyawa, noted that hydrogen is a key fuel of the future that will be used globally, and Nigeria should be able to put its foot forward to be part of the hydrogen economy.