The German embassy and the German-Nigerian Hydrogen Office have geared up efforts to promote low-carbon hydrogen for economic growth and industrialisation.

The German ambassador to Nigeria, Annett Gunther, said this at the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES 2023) in Abuja.

The two offices hosted a dialogue titled ‘Low-Carbon Hydrogen: A Key Piece for a Just Transition’.

The offices are financed by the Federal Foreign Office and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

According to Ms Gunther, the process is moving from oil to gas and from gas to hydrogen and other green and renewable energy sources.

Ms Gunther said the Nigerian International Petroleum Summit was rebranded ‘Energy Summit’, thus reflecting a crucial change in its outlook and the increased attention given to non-traditional sources of energy.

The GIZ Nigeria and ECOWAS country director Markus Wagner said, “The nascent low-carbon hydrogen economy and its associated industries held the promise of economic growth and industrialisation.”

Mr Wagner emphasised its added-value creation, decent job generation, infrastructure development, and increased access to affordable low-carbon energy.

“Yet, these socioeconomic benefits can only be reaped if we focus on long-term development instead of immediate returns. If we focus on how to make the Energy Transition a Just Transition,” stated Mr Wagner.

In his keynote address, the permanent secretary at the ministry of petroleum resources, Gabriel Aduda, said Nigeria was keen on exploring the possibilities that the nascent hydrogen economy could create for its energy sector.

Mr Aduda emphasised how low-carbon hydrogen fitted into the 2023 edition of the NIES (Global Perspectives for a Sustainable Energy Future) theme, which was motivated by the foreseen changes in the fossil fuel segment as the world pursued the energy transition agenda.

Salisu Dahiru, the National Council on Climate Change’s director-general, commended the cooperation between Germany and Nigeria and anticipated further cooperation in implementing Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan, especially on low-carbon hydrogen.

(NAN)