At Abuja Book Launch, Osinbajo Insists It’s Unreasonable to Jettison Fossil Fuels Now

·       CJN, others urge Nigeria to deepen gas exploration

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has maintained that while the global call for transition to cleaner fuels may be valid, it would be unreasonable for Nigeria to abandon its fossil fuel deposits at the moment.

Osinbajo spoke at the launch of a book in Abuja titled: “Understanding Natural Gas, a Nigerian Perspective” authored by Dr David Ige, a renowned Nigerian engineer and teacher as well as Dapo Akinosun, a senior lawyer.

Osinbajo highlighted that in recent months, natural gas has taken centre stage in global politics, especially with the war in Ukraine going on, a strong reminder of the complexity of energy security concerns that nations now face.

He noted that as gas prices started skyrocketing, countries have been forced to confront the vulnerabilities of their own energy supply strategies, including Europe and America. He opined that every country must recognise their peculiarities.

“The key question, of course for us is how does Nigeria respond? How do we position ourselves to the vantage point of a nation with abundant energy resources, working assiduously to diversify its energy resources, develop domestic resources, enhance energy efficiency, and strengthen our infrastructure?

“Our nation like others around the world, finds itself in a situation where we must navigate this challenging transition wisely and economic future in very clear perspective,” he explained.

According to him, the push to phase out fossil fuels quickly and discourage new investments in related projects is fast ramping up, stressing that Nigeria must take the call to action seriously, not just for the sake of the environment, but also for the economy and for the people.

“It’s important that we must emphasise that while climate change is an existential threat, our own energy poverty and our development is also a major threat. And so we must find a way of balancing it. I think that this will involve a faithful implementation of our Energy Transition Plan, which involves the implementation of the decade of gas proposals,” he said.

He pointed out that the plan attempts to chart a pathway to renewable energy as the bedrock to develop 250 gigawatts of solar power by 2060, which is when Nigeria intends to hit net zero. He further highlighted the role of gas as a transition from heavier fossil fuels.

“No country has yet been known to develop its energy industry solely on renewable energy. And therefore, the call for us to do so solely on renewable energy is unreasonable. So they must take into account the fact that we are a gas-rich country and that we require gas not just for industry, but also to even be able to effectively use solar power, especially on our grid,” he stated.

The vice president said that Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) remains a viable alternative to total abandonment of fossil fuels, especially in the transition period.

He commended the authors of the book, saying it is an important book, and one of the few technical texts that has a strong policy and legal perspective. He also highlighted that the book is simple to read.

In his remarks, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, lauded the duo for putting pen to paper, noting that all literate Nigerians should have a copy to understand the sector better.

He stated that gas remains Nigeria’s new oil, noting that the book is a compilation of the duo’s industry experience and a comprehensive overview of the sector as well as its evolution.

 “It’s a must-read for students, academics, investors, lawyers in practice and policymakers as well as anyone looking for a quick knowledge of the gas industry,” he pointed out.

The book was reviewed by Bello Rabiu and Osteen Olorunsola and had in attendance industry bigwigs, senior lawyers and representatives of Oyo and Lagos governors.

In his intervention, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari, said Nigeria was on course to realising the decade of gas aspiration.

He described the book as a perfect material for deepening the oil and gas industry, especially for new entrants in the field. According to him, the text will also refresh the knowledge of experienced professionals in the sector.