By Chesa Chesa
Nigeria’s Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Action, Chief Ajuri Ngelale has held discussions with the International Energy Forum (IEF) based in Saudi Arabia towards development and investment in blue hydrogen to advance Nigeria’s green energy solutions.
He informed journalists on Thursday that the efforts recorded significant progress on the day as they involved follow-ups and verification-based discussions with partners.
“The day began early with an incredibly insightful discussion with the Secretary-General of the Riyadh-based International Energy Forum (IEF), Mr. Joseph McMonigle.
“We explored new collaboration concerning Nigeria’s newly accelerated drive for blue hydrogen investment and development amongst many other exciting opportunities”, he enthused.
Same Thursday, he welcomed the MD/CEO of the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), Mr. Tony Okpanachi and his talented team, congratulating them on becoming the first Nigerian financial institution to be accredited by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which opens a new vista of climate financing for important projects nationwide.
“Furthermore, we discussed how to partner in advancing the priority areas of H.E. President Bola Tinubu’s administration within our green industrial growth acceleration programme.
“That was followed by a 90-minute discussion with lead climate negotiators representing 119 other countries in a UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) virtual meeting on the just transition”, revealed Ngelale who doubles as President Bola Tinubu’s media adviser.
He still hosted the Country Director of the French Development Agency (AFD), Mr. Xavier Muron and his team, alongside the NCCC (National Council on Climate Change) leadership, with whom he deliberated on the various pathways to economically beneficial decarbonization in the context of maximizing Nigeria’s natural resources to fund the energy transition.
“There are many exciting economic opportunities that will result from this deepening partnership”, Ngelale observed, after which he engaged virtually with a team from the Canada-based Alberta Carbon Market Collaboration during which he and the NCCC leadership exchanged views on Nigeria’s value chain localization agenda and the evolution of a carbon market ecosystem that favors the Nigerian economy and citizenry above all else.
Another virtual discussion ensued with leaders from the NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution) Partnerships Group where “we followed up on Nigeria’s update to the NDC framework, and deliberated fruitfully on converting the aspirational NDC framework into a business-tailored, project-driven plan that details in specificity the bankability of critical projects across the nation. This will be followed up in weekly intervals henceforth”, Ngelale added.
