The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), has called on stakeholders to intensify efforts to address abject energy poverty in Africa.
The Group Managing Director (GMD) of NNPC, Malam Mele Kyari, made the call during an Oil and Gas summit held in Abuja recently. He drummed up support for the integration of Africa’s infrastructure to address the continent’s energy poverty.
At a panel session on Energy Transition at the summit organised by the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) with the theme: Africa’s Energy Conundrum: A Pragmatic Approach to Net Zero, Kyari joined other energy experts to advocate for a concrete approach to energy transition to guarantee cheap access to energy in Africa.
According to him, there should be a slow but proper energy transition process in Africa with emphasis on access rather than net zero status. He called on developing countries to form a common front to address the irrational expectations of transiting to net zero, adding that African leaders must insist that there must be energy justice.
He said NNPC was at the forefront of efforts by Nigeria to rally the needed support and cooperation among African countries to promote gas sufficiency in order to eliminate energy poverty.
According to the panelists, there is need for African countries to reduce their dependence on foreign funds for projects and start looking inwards for financing.
They spoke on the need for effective communication strategy during the campaigns with the African populace and the transition process just as they said that energy poverty needed to be addressed.
Meanwhile, the NNPC Ltd has reiterated its commitment to ensuring that Nigeria enjoyed energy security, especially in the area of petroleum products availability.