By Miriam Humbe
The Federal Government of Nigeria, has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting initiatives that promote Nigeria’s energy security and prosperity.
Senator Shettima who was represented by the Special Adviser to the President on Power Infrastructure in the office of the Vice-President, Sadiq Wanka, said this at the First Nigeria Hydrogen Conference, in Abuja.
Christopher Ugwuegbulam, the
Assistant Director, Information in the Ministry Of Petroleum Resources disclosed this in a statement signed on Wednesday.
Themed: “Building a Hydrogen Economy for Nigeria”, the event was organized by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources in collaboration with the Foundation for Sustainable Social Responsibility in Emerging Africa (FOSSREA).
In his keynote address, Shettima emphasized the importance of advancing Nigeria’s energy agenda, highlighting the need for innovative solutions to drive economic growth and development.
The Vice-President said that in Nigeria, the energy transition plan has set out an ambitious goal for attaining a net-zero economy by 2060, with a commitment of attaining 9GW of renewal electric power supply by 2030, with natural gas serving as a key transition fuel.
The VP said that Hydrogen had emerged as an important fuel for Nigeria’s energy future.
Shettima said: “Given our vast natural gas and renewable energy resources as a country, the potential for hydrogen to meet our domestic energy demands, service our burgeoning Petrochemicals industry and reshape our energy trade through exports cannot be over estimated”.
He therefore stressed the need for regional collaboration with other countries in the sub-region and the continent on the adoption of hydrogen to support it’s viability domestically, adding that, collaborations with development partners and other countries more advanced in their hydrogen journey will ensure knowledge transfer, as well as attracting the capital required to kick-start a Hydrogen economy in Nigeria.
The Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas) Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo said that Nigeria, blessed with abundant natural resources and human capital was positioning itself to become a key player in the global hydrogen economy.
He said that Nigeria as Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation with an energy demand that is expected to double by 2050 was committed to achieving net-zero-emissions under the Paris agreement.
Ekpo emphasized that the hydrogen development aligns perfectly with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to sustainable development.
The Minister said: “Hydrogen, particularly green hydrogen produced using our abundant renewable energy resources, and blue hydrogen leveraging our natural gas reserves with carbon capture—presents a unique opportunity to bridge these seemingly competing objectives”.
The Minister also stressed the need for partnership with other countries while assuring that the nation’s natural gas reserves of 206 trillion cubic feet, significant solar potential, with about 2,000 hours of sunshine annually, provided an ideal foundation for green and blue hydrogen production and strategic location offered excellent access to European and African markets, and the existing gas infrastructure could be adopted for hydrogen transportation.
He said that the use of hydrogen equally provided a viable path for transformation of the country’s Oil and Gas infrastructure, turning challenges into opportunities while ensuring the nation’s energy sector remains vibrant and globally competitive.
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji noted that the conference symbolized Nigeria’s commitment to sustainable energy and innovation.
He commended the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and Foundation for Sustainable Social Responsibility in Emerging Africa for their foresight, stating that hydrogen, often described as the “fuel of the future,” offered Nigeria immense potential to decarbonize energy systems, create jobs, and position itself as a leader in the global clean energy transition.
Chief Nnaji further said that achieving a hydrogen-powered future requires collective efforts.
He said: “Together government, private sector, academia, and international partners can build the development of a pilot green hydrogen production plant being constructed by the Energy Commission of Nigeria, which will serve as a catalyst for scaling up clean hydrogen technologies, by fostering research, innovation, and technology transfer”.
In his virtual welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Amb. Nicholas Agbo Ella said that the National Conference on Hydrogen provided a platform for critical discussions on the technology, policy, financing, and infrastructure necessary to develop a robust hydrogen economy.
Mr. Ella informed the participants that International Energy Agency (IEA) global hydrogen demand was approximately 94 million metric tons in 2022, with projections estimate that could reach between 500 and 700 million metric tons annually by 2050, if net-zero ambitions were to be realized.
The Permanent Secretary said that by 2023, countries such as Germany, Japan, and South Korea had already collectively committed over $70 billion to developing hydrogen supply chains and technology, which underscored the importance of Nigeria positioning itself as an investment-friendly environment that could attract similar international financial support and partnerships.
The Permanent Secretary highlighted the objectives of the conference to include: disseminating the latest research findings and technological advancements in hydrogen production, storage, distribution, and utilization.
The Chairman of FOSSREA, Aliyu Mijinyawa said that the goal of the conference was to position Nigeria at the forefront of the global hydrogen economy, leveraging the clean energy solution to drive sustainable economic growth, energy security, and climate action.
He expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas) Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, the Permanent Secretary MPR Amb. Nicholas Agbo Ella and the Directors and staff of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources for their unwavering support and collaboration towards the success of the conference.
Participants at the conference were drawn from local and international stakeholders in Hydrogen Sector, Oil and Gas Industry, governments and private sector Agencies to explore the potential of hydrogen as a clean energy source, driving Nigeria’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
