VP, Shettima meets with UN's Damilola Ogunbiyi on Energy Transition Plan, commitment to SDG7

Oredola Adeola

Senator Kashim Shettima, Nigeria’s Vice President, met with Damilola Ogunbiyi, Chief Executive Officer and special representative of the U.N. Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, to discuss Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan and the government’s commitment towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) and a just and equitable energy transition for Nigeria.

The Vice President received Ogunbiyi and other partners in his office at the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday.

While the detail of the discussion was not officially released as at the period of filling this report, Damilola Ogunbiyi, in a tweet hinted that the discussion with Shettima was focused on the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan as well as SEforALL and partners’ support towards achieving SDG7 and a just and equitable transition in the country.

EnergyDay’s check showed that the as the Chairman of the Nigerian Energy Transition Office(ETO) the Former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, in July 2022, launched the Energy Transition Plan, a home-grown, data-backed, multipronged strategy developed for the achievement of net-zero emissions in terms of the nation’s energy consumption.

The ETP sets out a timeline and framework for the attainment of emissions’ reduction across 5 key sectors; Power, Cooking, Oil and Gas, Transport and Industry. Within the scope of the ETP, about 65% of Nigeria’s emissions are affected.

The plan aims to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty, bring modern energy services to the full population, manage the expected long-term job loss in the oil sector due to the reduced global fossil-fuel demand, and play a leadership role for Africa by promoting a fair, inclusive and equitable energy transition in Africa that will include Gas as a “transitionary fuel”.

The Nigerian Government had mobilised a USD 10 billion initial support package to kick start the plan with spending projection of USD 410 billion above business-as-usual to deliver our Transition Plan by 2060.

The plan has received support from the World Bank, which plans to commit over USD 1.5 billion towards the Energy Transition. ETP also attracted the attention of prominent figures, while in addition, members of the leadership team and the Africa Energy Program have collaborated to help fill some of the technical skills gaps.

It is not clear how the office of the new Vice President Shettima under his watch as the Chairman of the ETO , intends to advance some of the gains that were achieved by his predecessor under the Nigerian Energy Transition.