MEDIATRACNET
A national dialogue on the energy transition road map is planned September this year in Abuja, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has said.
The Executive Secretary of NEITI, Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, disclosed this at a workshop organised in collaboration with the United States-based Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI).
At the end of the dialogue, Orji said the road map to be unveiled would be comprehensive in content and with a framework highlighting information and data to drive the implementation of the Federal Government’s overall Energy Transition Plan recently approved by the Executive Council of the Federation.
The NEITI Chief Executive also disclosed that the workshop was organized to seek the views and advice of NEITI’s Board and Senior Management Team as well as the collaboration of the NRGI in relation to the subject matter.
The collaboration with the NRGI was part of NEITI’s ongoing stakeholders’ engagements aimed at developing the needed road map for the country.
“The transition from carbon-based energy to renewable energy has far-reaching implications for the global economy, particularly Nigeria,” Orji said.
“The implications for Nigeria, a highly natural resource revenues-dependent country, are very huge, especially with regard to energy security, citizens’ livelihood, job opportunities and economic development,” he added.
For NEITI, Orji said the transparency agency have legitimate interest and duty to help Nigeria to develop a comprehensive content to guide its rule of engagements required to maximize the opportunities in energy transition while minimizing its associated risks.
The Chairman of the NEITI Board, Olusegun Adekunle, reaffirmed the commitment of the Board to provide NEITI with the required policy direction that would aid the development of the road map.
He described energy transition as the future of the industry, and charged workshop’s participants to take advantage of the workshop to build their skills and improve their knowledge on energy transition.
The West African Regional Manager of NRGI, Nafi Chinery, underlined the need to include diversification of Nigeria’s economy as one of the priorities in the country’s energy transition response.
The NRGI Regional Manager further described NEITI as a reputable and efficient agency whose partnership with her organization would help shape energy transition programs in both Nigeria and the West African Sub region.
“Nigeria has a chance to minimize the economic shocks from the energy transition but can only do so if the government responds quickly by making evidence-based decisions and putting in place appropriate policy measures to mitigate the risks and enhance the benefits and diversification potentials provided energy transition”, the NRGI Western African boss added.
The Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, who was represented by the Head Environmental Impact Assessment, Celestine Gomwalk, said a National Council on Climate Change has been established by the Ministry to support the implementation of energy transition program.
The Minister welcomed the evolving partnership with NEITI in the areas of planning, capacity building, information and data sharing towards a national coordinated energy transition project.
