Climate change and clean energy transition in Nigeria ( 3)
Continued from yesterday
FOURTH, prioritise water resource management. As the Nigerian population continues to grow from its current 200M base and as agriculture and industry becomes more intensive, the demand for water will increase dramatically. Combined with climate change and encroaching desertification, Nigeria will need to develop and enforce policies and laws that treat water as a strategic resource.
There needs to be a comprehensive update of all fresh water reserves in the country with every local government area assessed for water scarcity risk based on current and projected future population, agriculture and industrial growth. Strict measures need to be taken to protect access and ration access to underground aquifers.
Households, agriculture and industry need to be trained and informed about water management techniques and a fair price should be placed on boring water holes, distributing and use of water so as to reduce wastage. Waste water should be treated and repurposed for use in the homes, farmlands and industry so as to save the freshwater resources. Desalination plants and pipelines should be built from the southern coast to areas facing water scarcity so as to make desalinated water available to these communities for their use.
Fifthly, public health systems should be equipped for resilience. Use digital tools to enable remote telecare so as to make up for shortages in healthcare personnel. Focus on preventive health campaigns including vaccination of young children, promotion of consumption of nutritional foods and encouragement of health lifestyles.
This will help reduce the prevalence of lifestyle diseases and free up capacity for the health system to address climate related emergencies. Conduct public health campaigns that also use pharmacies and chemists as focal hubs to teach the population on how to prevent and treat heat waves and vector- borne diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, elephantiasis, dengue fever, river blindness, schistosomiasis, sleeping sickness etc.
This will ensure that households and pharmacies can prevent and treat less urgent climate induced diseases while helping the hospital system to have extra capacity for more acute conditions.
Finally, aggressively implement the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan ( NTEP) which aims for the country to no longer emit carbon ( i. e. achieve carbon neutrality) by 2060. In order to achieve this goal, Nigeria must take stock of its current energy sources, how they are used and define the strategy to pursue towards carbon neutrality. Nigeria Energy Sources currently consists of Petroleum ( 67 per cent), Natural Gas ( 32 per cent) and Renewable Energy ( 1 per cent. Its use of these energy by end- use sector is in Residential ( 78 per cent), Industrial ( 9 per cent, Transport ( 7 per cent), Commercial ( 3 per cent). Its electricity sector is powered using Coal ( 74 per cent), Renewables ( 26 per cent). Nigeria’s greenhouse gas emissions are mostly driven by agriculture, oil and gas i. e., from fugitive emissions transport, residential/ commercial - consisting of buildings and industry.
To achieve Net Zero by 2060 as per the Nigeria Federal Government stated goal, Nigeria must prioritise decarbonisation of its electricity, transport, cooking, industrial and oil and gas sectors.
To decarbonise electricity, Nigeria needs to transition residential/ commercial buildings from petrol/ diesel generators. This can be done by powering the core base load through a centralised gas- powered grid then ramping up integration of decentralised renewables ( mini- grids and off- grids). The government needs to encourage the use of solar home systems for low density areas i. e., villages and Mini grids for larger communities. Policies such as tax cuts can be offered to industries that implement solar PV/ wind systems + battery systems to power production.
To decarbonise transportation, pass a law that mandates all fuel stations to start selling blended biofuels from 2030. Start by enforcing the biofuel blend rate of 30 per cent by 2030 and then transition all vehicles to electric by 2060. Mandate all gas stations to install charging stations for commercial charging and battery swaps for consumers.
To decarbonise household cooking, pass a law that mandates all households to replace firewood, kerosene and charcoal cook stoves with LPG ( liquefied petroleum gas) by 2030. Provide rebates to customers that helps them cover the cost of this transition and makes the use of this new energy source cheaper than firewood, kerosene and charcoal. This also has the added benefits of reducing respiratory diseases for women and children while also reducing deforestation.
Then transition all households to electric cookstoves and biogas- 65 per cent by 2050 and 100 per cent by 2060 - continue to provide rebates to make this possible. Tap global climate finance funds to finance these rebates.
To decarbonise the oil and gas industry, reduce oil production as global demand falls, eliminate flaring by 2030 and reduce fugitive emissions by 95 per cent by 2050. Gas flares consist of methane and this can be contained, liquefied, pressurized and exported as natural gas earning the country much needed forex.
To decarbonise the cement industry, replace clinker with calcined clay and use bioenergy with carbon capture and storage ( BECCS) to remove residual CO2 emissions. For ammonia production move to using clean hydrogen ( i. e. green hydrogen) and move to zero emission fuels i. e., clean electricity and hydrogen for heating instead of natural gas and biomass ( 11). Any residual CO2 emissions from land use changes, heavy transportation, shipping and other energy intensive activities especially in heavy industry should be decarbonised using carbon capture and storage technologies. Provide tax cuts and rebates to make the use of these technologies affordable. Tap global climate funds to finance these spending programs.
Promote a review of the educational curriculum especially the vocational education system to train our young people to take up skills to build and install clean energy systems and to be able to work in clean energy industries, energy parks, vehicle and battery production plants.
Finally, position Nigeria to become a global Green Super- power - exporting natural gas, clean energy commodities such as lithium and green products such as aluminum, steel, glass, hydrogen that can be locally produced using our abundant renewable solar, wind and hydropower resources. Ensure that mining rights of local communities are protected and that the government negotiates a fair share of all revenues earned by the mining industry.
Provide tax incentives and favorable industrial policies that encourage clean energy commodity processors and electric vehicle manufacturers to set up assembly and production facilities in Nigeria.
Conclusion
Climate change is an existential crisis that disproportionately affects developing countries such as Nigeria. Although Nigeria has contributed a tiny amount of cumulative global CO2 emissions, it faces significant adverse impacts from the climate change brought about by the pollution done by others who have become rich in the process. While this is unfair, the developed world is coming together to ensure climate equity for countries such as Nigeria.
It is important for the country to engage proactively with the rich world to tap the funding being made available to finance climate related losses, damages and to subsidise the uptake of clean technologies by the Nigerian people and their industries.
The Nigerian government must also take action on the proposed adaptation strategies of: community engagement and education, building resilient infrastructure, agricultural adaptation, water resource management, public health resilience and clean energy transition.
This will immediately improve the national preparedness to respond to negative climate impacts, improve the quality of life for the majority of the Nigerian people, help to create jobs and unlock new opportunities to attract investments into the Nigerian energy and manufacturing industries.
Concluded.
Alonge studies at Harvard University.