Senate C’ttee, ERA Launch Energy Initiative

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change and the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) have launched ‘Just Energy Transition’, an initiative targeted at driving Nigeria’s economy from fossil fuel to renewable energy sources.

The initiative, they said, was a call to action to all, adding that Nigeria can transit to become the hub of renewable energy development for Africa, but it cannot be achieved unless concerted actions are taken.

Speaking at the event in Abuja recently, Chairman, Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate change, Senator Buka Abba Ibrahim, said energy issues are very important to the whole of humanity, adding that he would ensure that the bill is passed by the Senate.

According to him, “Just Energy Transition for Nigeria is a must; we cannot run away from it. With all these documents, I now have the particular task of presenting it to the Senate for a bill to be passed and signed into law by the President so that we can now have a law backing what we have been talking about for so long.”

“I will lead this battle to its logical conclusion so that we will be better of energy transition for our country.”

Earlier, the Executive Director, ERA, Dr. Godwin Ojo, said one fundamental challenge that is facing this country is its oil dependency; hence the country lacks a blueprint to transit from fossil fuel driven economy to renewable alternatives.

He stated that this manifesto launches Nigeria forward on the pathway to Just Energy Transition, pointing out that this understanding is presently lacking in government operations and citizens’ sensitisation in this regard has been lacking.

Ojo said there was need for divestment from fossil fuel development to pave the way for decentralised energy systems in mini-grids, off-grids and non-grid systems in ways that individuals and communities participate as prosumers (producers and consumers) in the energy production and supply chain as well as share in the benefits.

He therefore called on the federal government, “to urgently put in place a renewable energy policy framework backed by an Act of Parliament that recognises the state and non-state actors’ roles and responsibilities in renewable energy development.

“The federal government should set policy targets for national energy access and decentralised renewable energy and task the federal, state and local governments with responsibility and annual budgetary allocations,” Ojo said.