The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to Nigeria and the German-Nigerian Hydrogen Office have geared up efforts on promoting low-carbon hydrogen for economic growth and industrialisation.
The German Ambassador to Nigeria, Mrs Annett Gunther, said this at the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES 2023).in Abuja.
The two offices hosted a dialogue titled “Low-Carbon Hydrogen: A Key Piece for a Just Transition”.
The offices are financed by the Federal Foreign Office and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
According to Gunther, the process is clearly moving from oil to gas, and from gas to hydrogen and other green and renewable energy sources.
Gunther said the Nigerian International “Petroleum Summit” was re-branded as “Energy Summit”, thus reflecting a crucial change in its outlook and in the increased attention it gave to non-traditional sources of energy.
In his remarks, the Country Director, GIZ Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dr Markus Wagner, said that, “the nascent low-carbon hydrogen economy and its associated industries held the promise of economic growth and industrialisation.
He emphasised its added-value creation, decent job generation, infrastructure development, and an increased access to secure affordable low-carbon energy.
“Yet, these socioeconomic benefits can only be reaped if we focus on long-term development instead of immediate returns. If we focus on how to make the Energy Transition a Just Transition,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Amb. Gabriel Aduda, in his keynote address, said Nigeria was keen on exploring the possibilities that the nascent hydrogen economy could create for its energy sector.
Aduda emphasised how low-carbon hydrogen fitted into the theme of 2023 edition of the NIES (Global Perspectives for a Sustainable Energy Future), which was motivated by the foreseen changes in the fossil fuel segment as the world pursued the energy transition agenda.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the National Council on Climate Change, Dr Salisu Dahiru, expressed gratitude on the existing cooperation between Germany and Nigeria.
He expressed anticipation for further cooperation in the implementation of Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan, especially on the topic of low-carbon hydrogen.
Dr Chinnan Dikwal, Executive Vice President, African Energy Council also made a presentation on the opportunities and challenges to make low-carbon hydrogen a reality for Nigeria.
Dikwal said that Nigeria was well positioned to produce low-carbon hydrogen for domestic use and export into Europe and Asia.
He further gave recommendations to help develop a robust hydrogen value chain in Nigeria, such as creating a H2 accelerator programme for start-ups and projects, co-locating H2 production and consumption in hydrogen valleys.
He included launching a hydrogen-centric regulatory regime to instill confidence for both producers and consumers of hydrogen.
The presentation was followed by a panel discussion, which served as a platform for Nigerian voices from oil and gas, renewable energies, public sector, academia, and NGOs to speak about their visions of a Just Transition.
Ms Gina Lagunes, Head of the German Nigerian Hydrogen office, in a remark said Nigeria, as a traditional fossil fuel exporting country with existing oil and gas infrastructure and know-how, could use this trend as a momentum to transition towards sustainable energy.
Lagunes further reiterated the Hydrogen Office’s commitment towards providing advisory for the creation of an enabling framework for low-carbon hydrogen, developing capacity in public and private sector, civil society, as well as offering support to private sector and specific projects.