Page 10 - AfrElec Week 03 2023

AfrElec COMMENTARY AfrElec

“Vision 30:30:30,” which will see the country project will help resolve the energy accessibility
add 30,000MW of electricity by the year 2030. issues in most of the crossed countries.
The vision will also see 30% of the country’s It stretches over 1,672km, connecting Nige-
energy mix coming from renewables, NewsBase rian gas to Europe through Morocco, Maurita-
reports. nia, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea,
At COP26 in Glasgow, Nigeria pledged to Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo
achieve net-zero emissions by 2060. This com- and Benin.
mitment was made by President Muhammadu The Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline aims to
Buhari, who highlighted the challenges that cli- contribute to the development of critical sectors,
mate change has posed for the country. including food security, infrastructure, mining,
International cooperation in the renewable renewable energy and human development.
power sector is also on the cards as Nigeria is Among other objectives are promoting regional
to partner with China to boost its green energy integration, advancing social and economic
generation, Aliyu revealed in November 2022. development, reducing gas flaring and export-
China is by far the world’s largest manufacturer ing gas to Europe.
of solar panels, and Nigeria aims to use solar
power as a way of achieving its target of a car- Looking ahead
bon-neutral economy by 2060. According to Dr. Adeleke Olorunimbe Mamora,
Nigeria’s Minister of Science, Technology and
Export plans Innovation, policy integration and coordination
While renewables are an essential part of the is required for successful implementation of
future of Nigeria, the country is still a major oil energy transition planning in Nigeria.
and gas producer on the African continent. “The highly distributed institutional struc-
Nigeria plans to increase exports and in ture of the energy sector in Nigeria means that
September 2022 signed a memorandum of coordination of policies will be essential to
understanding (MoU) with Morocco for the unlocking integrated energy transition planning
Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline project, which and ensuring its success,” Mamora said.
seeks to boost power generation and provide “A cross-cutting agency or body tasked with
energy for over 11 African countries to serve doing so would be helpful in building consen-
nearly 500mn people, sus and developing a coherent plan which in
The construction of the new project has turn would allow for the scaling up of renewa-
gained increased importance in the past months ble energy to meet the needs across the Nigerian
because of the current global energy crisis caused energy sector.”™
by the Russia-Ukraine war. The $25bn pipeline

P10 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 03 18•January•2023