The Federal Government of Nigeria has rejected the “one size fits all” idea of having a single pathway for all countries as the worldwide movement to transition from fossil fuels and carbon emissions to renewable energy and net-zero carbon gains traction.

According to Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, Nigeria’s is adopting the idea of ‘just’ energy transition, while it takes into consideration the specific circumstances of each nation in developing the energy transition roadmap that best achieves each nation’s environmental, social, political, and economic goals.

During his keynote address at the 2021 Seplat Energy summit in Abuja, the minister expressed the government’s viewpoint, explaining that energy transition is a journey, not a destination therefore, it is a process.

Nigeria’s vice president, who was represented by Sharon Ikeazor, Minister of State for the Environment said: “Nigeria requires a larger policy agenda that must match with energy security, which must support a smooth energy transition across various levels of energy demands”. The vice president went on to say that the country’s energy shift would not be incremental, but rather transformative.

In a similar vein, Dr. ABC Orjiako, the chairman of Seplat Energy Plc, announced that the company has set an objective of ending gas flaring in all of its activities by 2024. “Seplat Energy delivers nearly 50% of gas supply in Nigeria,” he said.

By 2024, Seplat plans to eliminate carbon emissions. The goal of the company is to replace all of the wood in households with liquefied petroleum gas, a greener energy source. In LGP, the firm plans to deliver over 500kg of gas.

Seplat Energy will begin its tree-planting projects in the first quarter of 2022, according to Orjiako, who also mentioned that the company is focused on making sure that the environment is safe through a variety of options, including ending gas emissions.

This initiative will drive youth employment and a cleaner environment by replacing diesel generators with clean renewable energy and will definitely solve Nigeria’s energy issues.