Nearly 65% of Nigeria’s CO2 emissions are connected to energy consumption.
This is according to Dr. Muntaqa Umar Sadiq, an energy transition investment professional. He said this via Twitter while commenting on Nigeria’s energy transition plan, held on November 24, Thursday night.
According to Dr. Muntaqa, the 65% CO2 emissions mentioned are affecting health and livelihoods in the country and Nigeria’s energy transition plan is on hand to address the issue.
Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan was launched in August 2021 and has since then been a reference point for being the first of its kind on the continent. Some of the objectives of the plan include: lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty and driving economic growth, bringing modern energy services to the full population, and managing the expected long-term job loss in the oil sector due to the reduced global fossil-fuel demand.
Data from Climate Scorecard shows that Nigeria emitted 104.27 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) in 2018. This figure represents an increase of 271.6% from 1990 levels. Out of Nigeria’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2016 (481.02 MtCO2e), the majority of its composition is comprised of carbon dioxide at 61.74%, followed by methane at 27.82%, nitrous oxide at 7.77%, and fluorinated gas at 2.66%.
April 2022 data from Dataphyte shows that Nigeria’s CO2 emissions mostly come from land-use change and forestry sub-sector (38.2%), energy (32.6%), waste (14.0%), agriculture (13.0%), and the industrial processes sector (2.1%).
Private sector-led: During the Twitter spaces, Dr. Muntaqa said the energy transition plan builds on existing plans/policies using an evidence-based approach and much of the plan implementation will be private sector-led. Implementation requires a $10 billion financing gap, tapping into new types of financing in new carbon markets.
Power + economic development: While speaking Dr. Muntaqa said the energy transition plan is a vehicle that brings together previous in-country plans that span all energy uses with power supply and economic development through industrialization at its core. He stated:
- “For Nigeria, the conversation has gone beyond energy access to industrialization in a sustainable and responsible manner.”
Decarbonization pathway: The senior special assistant, of planning, and coordination at the office of Nigeria’s vice president, Lanre Shasore, who was also a speaker during the Twitter spaces said the energy transition plan is a decarbonization pathway for Nigeria. According to her, the plan is based on data. She stated:
- “The plan mirrors our current energy behaviors in Nigeria to determine when the country will achieve the net zero goal. These behaviors include how we are prospecting for oil and gas, how we are using diesel generators, how we are building homes, how we are farming and making use of water.”
Both speakers highlighted the fact that 90 million Nigerians still have no access to modern energy, which includes power supply and clean cooking tools.
The steps Nigeria needs to take to achieve net zero: Dr. Muntaqa said the country needs to increase energy access through natural gas and reduce emissions. According to him, if Nigeria is able to increase its use of natural gas over the next 10 to 12 years, the country can increase its base load and then expand that base load with the use of renewables. The energy transition plan sets out to:
- Displace diesel for natural gas, solar, and later on, green hydrogen
- Establish 100% access to clean cooking for all Nigerians in the rural and urban areas, displacing kerosene, firewood for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and, biogas
- Establishing clean transport
- Industrialization
- Decarbonization of the oil and gas sector. However, Dr. Muntaqa said that adopting carbon capture technologies will be done at a time when the unit economics and the cost curve make sense for the country.
For the record: In executing these goals, Dr. Muntaqa said the plan seeks to properly engage communities and the legislature, so as to get the approval of both the law and Nigerians in all spheres.