By Moses Patience Chat
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for an equitable balance between fossil fuel and green energy in the race for energy transition, while urging the United States and other developed nations to remember Nigeria and Africa’s challenge with poverty, as the world transitions into clean energy.
Tinubu said this on Monday in a statement titled “President Tinubu Seeks Better Cooperation with US Over Energy Transition,” while having a meeting with the United States Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Energy Resources, Geoffrey Praytt, at the State House in Abuja.
In the statement, which was issued to journalists by the Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communication, and Strategy, Dele Alake, President Tinubu noted that the new energy that is being considered represents just 5 percent of global energy requirements and that “we must find the right balance between new energy and fossil fuel because we have a poverty problem in Africa.”
At the meeting, President Tinubu presented his perspectives to the US delegate on the role of Nigeria as an oil-producing country and the importance of revenue from fossil oil to national economic well-being.
“Nigeria is an oil-producing nation and a developing economy that needs revenue from fossil fuel for growth and development,” he argued.
He maintained that the country will honor all its obligations to climate change and its quest for clean energy.
Giving his comments on the connection between the problem of poverty in Africa and the fragility of democracy on the continent, President Tinubu admonished the US to work with Nigeria to protect the government of the people.
He also urged the Assistant Secretary of State to impress on his home government the urgency of responding to the needs of Nigeria.
“Our democracy needs protection like all other democracies in the world. We cherish our partnership with the US. My concern is whether the United States is giving us enough as much as we need.
The US should not make us hungry to the point we will have to eat the dinner of our enemy,” said the President.
He noted that Nigeria needs the funding support to help her drive and accelerate her energy diversification saying that “there are bottlenecks that must be unbottled in terms of how the US bureaucracy responds to our needs. Help must be given when it is needed.
“We are ready to learn and develop to join the 21st-century economy. Please take it home that we need help and very quickly too. I am honoured with your recognition of the baby steps we have taken so far. I want to assure you that Nigeria will honour her obligations on climate change and renewables,” the President added.
Ambassador Praytt in his remarks commended the bold economic initiatives already taken by Tinubu concerning fuel subsidy removal and unification of multiple foreign exchange rates.
He said he was in the country partly to inform the President that President Joe Biden is in support of the steps taken so far by Nigeria to reduce the impact of fossil fuel.
“We are opening a new page in US relations with Nigeria. Nigeria is taking important steps in growing renewable energy to meet the need of its citizens.
“We are very happy with our work with NNPCL and your team. Your new Special Adviser on Energy is already doing very well,” the US diplomat said.