Following President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration that Nigeria will achieve a net-zero economy by 2060, there have been several conservations as to the capability of Nigeria reaching net-zero in 2060, given the present challenges around its energy sector.
To this effect, the Electricity Hub conducted a poll to get public opinion on Nigeria’s ability to achieve net-zero by 2060. From the survey, fifty per cent (50%) of the voters opined that Nigeria could not reach net-zero by 2050; another thirty-five per cent (35%) voted inconclusive as they neither voted yes nor no. Thus, only a meagre fifteen per cent (15%) were of the opinion that Nigeria could achieve net-zero by 2060.
For a fact, Nigeria is highly dependent on fossil fuels as its primary energy source, and the country is yet to achieve universal electricity access as challenges around the power sector have hindered that move. Furthermore, renewable energy is still in its infancy in the energy mix compared to its integration in other countries. Therefore, it is no wonder a higher percentage see the net-zero goal as unachievable.
Can gas as a transition fuel help achieve this goal?
Gas, which is a lesser carbon-emitting fuel, is believed to be Nigeria’s transitioning fuel. According to President Buhari, gas could strike the energy balance needed in the country, support renewable energy and bring an end to oil dependency.
Nigeria has enormous gas reserves (about the ninth-largest in the world), which is vastly untapped. Moreover, natural gas can be a suitable transition fuel because of its economic viability than emerging renewable energy technologies and less polluting effects than fossil fuels.
While natural gas is a better alternative to oil, it does not lead to net-zero because it also emits CO2. However, given its advantages, Nigeria could cut down emissions if it justly divests its investments from oil to natural gas.