US COMMITTED TO SUSTAINING PARTNERSHIP WITH NNPC ON CARBON MANAGEMENT, ENERGY TRANSITION – ENERGY SECRETARY

The United States has expressed commitment to sustaining partnership with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited in the areas of gas utilization, transition to cleaner energy sources, and the creation of the US-Nigeria Strategic Energy Dialogue.

The Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Energy Resources, United States Department of State, Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt, disclosed this during a courtesy visit on the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda, at the NNPC Towers, recently.

“I'm very proud of the work that my Bureau, the Bureau of Energy Resources, has done jointly with NNPC Ltd, specifically in the area of carbon management,” said Pyatt.

The Assistant Secretary added that to sustain such partnerships, his team will, in the next few weeks, be back in Nigeria to look for opportunities in the areas of carbon management and delivery of power to Nigerian citizens.

According to him, Nigeria is at the heart of President Biden’s focus for deepening the US partnership with Africa and identifying opportunities to further grow the cooperation between the American government and companies with African countries.

He added that partnership with Nigeria is important to the US government because of Nigeria’s size, its leadership role on the continent, and the globally significant oil and gas assets that Nigeria has.

He observed that the Bureau of Energy Resources has been collaborating with the NNPC Ltd in the area of carbon emissions and is willing to support the company and Nigeria in delivering more energy for the nation’s growing population.

He said the US sees viable opportunities in Nigeria, given the immediate impactful steps the new government has taken in restructuring the oil and gas industry.

“We see tremendous opportunity here and recognizing that President Tinubu has made a very strong start, which offers the prospect of unlocking new growth and new interest from foreign investors including, significantly, the American companies that have historically played a very large role in the Nigerian energy economy,” he stated.

Earlier in his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda, who said Nigeria considers the United States a very strong partner, especially in the nation’s energy transition agenda, stressing that Nigeria looks forward to any form of collaboration and assistance that will help it to maximize the use of gas which is a cleaner form of energy.

Ambassador Aduda said the Nigerian Government is fully determined in its decarbonization and carbon capture agenda. He also called on the US government to assist the country in its push for deepening the use of gas as an alternate fuel in keeping with the objective of the Federal Government’s Decade of Gas agenda.

He listed technology and technology transfer as key areas where Nigeria needs the support and collaboration of the US government, adding that with technology, the country would harness new forms of energy in such a manner that will be less harmful to the environment.

“We need to be mindful of the new forms of energy. Like we have mentioned earlier, going into renewables, going into solar energy and all that demands that we will up our mining activities by over 1000 per cent. How do we ensure that we do not destroy one end while we are trying to achieve the other end? So, we need to be able to bring up that balance in whatever forms of technologies we are putting in place.

On his part, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Mallam Mele Kyari, said Nigeria, a very populous nation, is experiencing an increase in its energy needs with undersupply of energy, thus, the NNPC Ltd as the national oil company is seeking the US government’s support either through technology, knowledge or finance to increase the nation’s capacity to produce clean energy.

According to Kyari, as the world yearns for cleaner energy, the NNPC Ltd and its partners are also progressing efforts towards enhancing gas development and gas penetration in the country.

“This country being a very populous country with 70 per cent of our population below 30 years of age, with enormous undersupply of energy, it’s the perfect time for the US to help and support us either by accessing technology, knowledge or financing as we continuously push for more energy and decarbonization of our operations.

“It is obvious today that our flare sites are going down, new flares are not coming up and we are doing everything possible to reduce reliance on biomass as source of energy and the combination of all these would be a clear indication from our country that we are moving towards net zero carbon by 2060,” he stated.

Other dignitaries at the occasion were the Chief Executive, Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe; Chief Executive, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr. Farouk Ahmed.

L-R: Authority Chief Executive, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, Mr. Farouk Ahmed; Charge D/Affaire, US Embassy, Mr. Will Stevens; Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Energy Resources, United States Department of State, Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt,; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda; Group Chief Executive Officer, GCEO, NNPC Ltd., Mr. Mele Kolo Kyari and Commission’s Chief Executive, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe during the courtesy visit.

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda engaging the GCEO, NNPC Ltd., Mr. Mele Kolo Kyari during the US government’s courtesy visit recently.

L-R: Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Energy Resources, United States Department of State, Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt,; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda and GCEO, NNPC Ltd., Mr. Mele Kolo Kyari during the courtesy visit

L-R: John Dour, Energy Resources Foreign Affairs Officer; AJ Jagelski, US Embassy Economic Officer; Ian Sheridan, US Embassy Economic; Rolf Olson, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission and Mr. Will Stevens, Charge D/Affaire, US Embassy during the courtesy visit which took place at NNPC Headquarters in Abuja

L-R: Executive Vice President, Downstream, NNPC Ltd., Engr. Adeyemi Adetunji; Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer of NNPC Ltd., Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan and Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd., Mr. Garba Deen Muhammed during the US’ courtesy visit

L-R: Charge D/Affaire, US Embassy, Mr. Will Stevens; GCEO, NNPC Ltd., Mr. Mele Kolo Kyari; Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Energy Resources, United States Department of State, Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt, and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda in a group picture during the visit

L-R: Group photograph of Top management of NNPC Ltd., Ministry of Petroleum Resources, NUPRC and NMDPRA with the US Government’s delegation to NNPC Headquarters in Abuja.