- Ministry holds 1st hydrogen summit
From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Vice President Kassim Shettima has disclosed that Nigeria needs energy mix to enable the country meet its electricity and other domestic demands, with a focus on hydrogen.
Shettima stated this yesterday in Abuja, at the 1st hydrogen conference, organised by the Ministry of Petroleum Resources in partnership with Foundation for Sustainable Social Responsibility in Emerging Africa (FOSSREA), with the theme: ‘Building a Hydrogen Economy for Nigeria.
Represented by the Special Adviser to the President on power infrastructure, in the Office if the Vice President, Sadiq Wanka, he said: “Given our vast natural gas and renewable energy resources as a country, the potential for hydrogen to meet our domestic energy demands, service our burgeoning petrochemicals industry and reshape our energy trade through exports, cannot be overestimated.
“Given the infancy of hydrogen in the country, a stakeholder-aligned national hydrogen strategy is a logical first step and conversations such as the ones we are having today will serve as an important input into that strategy.”
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said Nigeria’s natural gas reserves of 206 trillion cubic feet positions the country for blue hydrogen production.
According to Ekpo, the use of hydrogen also provides a viable path for transforming Nigeria’s oil and gas infrastructure, which allows the country to turn challenges into opportunities while ensuring the energy sector remains vibrant and competitive globally.
He further stated that the country’s significant solar potential, with about 2,000 hours of sunshine annually, provides an ideal foundation for green hydrogen.
He added that, “by harnessing these resources to produce green hydrogen, Nigeria can play a significant role in reducing emissions and supporting the decarbonization of sectors such as transport, power generation, and heavy industry.
“The use of hydrogen also provides a viable path for transforming our oil and gas infrastructure, allowing us to turn challenges into opportunities while ensuring our energy sector remains vibrant and globally competitive.”