The use of gas as a transition fuel will not only help in stemming deforestation but advance Nigeria’s broader development goals, the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has said, IgbereTV reports
Stating that the country has one of the largest gas reserves in the world, he believes other developing countries will also benefit from the adoption of gas as a transition fuel.
Professor Osinbajo stated this on Tuesday night when he received the US Special Presidential Envoy on Climate Change, John Kerry, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Kerry, who was on a working visit to Nigeria, had met with President Muhammadu Buhari prior to his meeting with Professor Osinbajo, the Vice President’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Vice President, at the meeting with Kerry and the US delegation, highlighted the need for Nigeria to continue the exploration and use of gas as a way of arresting deforestation, transiting away from dirtier fuels like diesel, kerosene, and petrol, while at the same time ensuring that the country has the necessary energy baseload for industrialisation.
He pointed out that Nigeria has one of the largest gas reserves in the world and should benefit from its exploitation, and highlighted the significance of Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan, which is the first in Africa.
Professor Osinbajo had discussed the Energy Transition Plan during his recent visit to Washington D.C., where he met with his American counterpart, Kamala Harris, at the White House, among other top US government officials.
