By Luther Animashaun
The German embassy and the German-Nigerian Hydrogen Office have strengthened their partnership as they make efforts to boost low-carbon hydrogen for economic growth and industrialisation.
Annett Gunther, , the German ambassador to Nigeria,stated this at the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES 2023), held in Abuja
Gunther, while speaking at a presentation titled ‘Low-Carbon Hydrogen: A Key Piece for a Just Transition”, disclosed that the offices are financed by the Federal Foreign Office and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Gunther further talked about how this partnership has priotised the process of moving from oil to gas and from gas to hydrogen and other green and renewable energy sources.
Also in attendance was Markus Wagner, the GIZ Nigeria and ECOWAS country director who noted that the nascent low-carbon hydrogen economy and its associated industries held the promise of economic growth and industrialisation.
Wagner emphasised its added-value creation, decent job generation, infrastructure development, and increased access to 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.
In his keynote address, Gabriel Aduda, the permanent secretary at the ministry of petroleum resources, 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 2023 edition of the NIES (Global Perspectives for a Sustainable Energy Future) theme, which was motivated by the foreseen changes in the fossil fuel segment as the world pursued the energy transition agenda.
On his part, Salisu Dahiru, the director general, National Council on Climate Change, commended the cooperation between Germany and Nigeria and anticipated further cooperation in implementing Nigeria’s energy transition plan, especially on low-carbon hydrogen.