CHHELD attends one-day Consultative Meeting on Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan (ETP) organized by Spaces for Change (S4C). Spaces for change is a non-profit organization working to increase public participation in social and economic development policies and programs, and also help public authorities and corporate entitles to put a human rights approach at the heart of their decision making. The one-day consultative meeting organized by S4C was aimed at stimulating conversations amongst key stakeholders and members of oil-rich communities in Rivers State following the Nigerian government unveiling of Energy Transition Plan (ETP) in August 2022. The fact-finding meeting also seek to identify gap collect evidence, discuss and recommend action plans the communities and government can take in order to successfully transit from the consumption of fossil fuel to other renewable forms of energy. It is no doubt that the extraction of fossil fuel has had an advert effect on the environment and left humans suffering for climate change-related issues. Nigerians have been vulnerable to climate change over the years, experiencing heavy flooding, depreciating coastlines due to rising sea levels in the southern parts; drought, desertification in the North.
At COP26 in Glasgow, the former President of Nigeria, His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari announced Nigeria’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2060. Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan (ETP) was unveiled shortly after highlighting the scale of effort required to achieve the 2060 net zero target whilst also meeting the nation’s energy needs. Since the announcement, the Climate Change Act 2021 has been passed, the ETP has been fully approved by the Federal Government and an Energy Transition Implementation Working Group (ETWG) was chaired by former Vice President, His Excellency Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), comprising of several key ministers and supported by an Energy Transition Office (ETO) has been established. (Source: https://energytransition.gov.ng/). The Nigerian government intends to use gas as a transition fuel to aid the process of global push for energy transition away from hydrocarbon. Gas is a cleanest-burning hydrocarbon producing around half the carbon-dioxide, and has been considered as a transition fuel that will be used until renewable energy sources attain technological viability to produce secure and sustained energy.
The one-day Consultative Meeting began with introductions of stakeholders and community members. S4C Legal officer, Mrs. Chetachi Louis-Udeh shared gatherings from the research work (Energy Transition in Nigeria’s Oil-Rich Communities) carried out by Spaces for Change and partners; Youth and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC), Extractive 360, Africa Centre for Energy Policy and Ford Foundation to know the implications of the ETP on local communities. Findings from the research were gathered through interviews, focus group discussions from traditional chiefs, women, youths, artisanal refiners, elder’s council, etc.
The objectives of the research are:
Inclusiveness: To ascertain if the aspirations of the communities are represented in the Nigeria’s Energy transition agenda.
Citizen’s impact: What is the social, economic and environmental impact of gas as a transition fuel on gas-producing communities.
Alternatives: What are the alternatives placed before the oil-producing communities in the face of energy transition?
Citizen participation: Are citizens participating in the national deliberations and actions on just transition?
Recommendations from the study include:
1. Address environmental injustices first.
2. Dismantle the centralized management of natural resources
3. Prioritize the involvement of local communities in the green economy
4. Create and expand spaces for healthy engagement
5. Inclusion of women
6. Provision of safety nets to cushion the effects of job losses as a result of the transition, etc
In attendance was a senior lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt and former commissioner for Commissioner for Energy and Natural Resources in Rivers State, Dr. Peter Medee. He shared his expert opinion on the role the Rivers State government has been playing in tackling environmental pollution and meeting the energy needs in the state. He pointed out that a lot has to be done by the government and citizens in terms of preparations for this transition. He also called on all stakeholders present to share their concerns and ideas on the ETP of Nigeria, even as S4C advocates for more inclusion of local communities in the Federal government to Nigeria’s transition plan. Some of the concerns shared by stakeholders include: what will be the fate of those whose livelihood depends on oil consumption when the drilling of oil comes to an end by 2060? Stakeholders also called for an increased sensitization of community leaders and members about ETP, as ETP is different from the current divestment of oil companies, which is well known amongst community members. Stakeholders shared concerns on modalities communities can put in place in order to survive as transition plan is being implemented by the government. Some community members opined that young persons are trained on installations of renewable forms of energy and be encouraged to venture into agriculture and other sources of livelihood, and desist from artisanal refining of petroleum products.
Executive Director of CHHELD, Dandyson Harry Dandyson called for a curriculum change in the education system of Nigeria and young people are encouraged to take on career paths that will strategically position them to be relevant in the coming years in the energy industry. He called on CSOs to advocate for policy reviews, whereby power generation is not left in the hands of government, but communities and private individuals can champion their power generation. He shared his concern about how the socio-cultural and economic values are been eroded.
Community members shared how climate change and environment pollution has affected lives and livelihood in their community. They also shared ways the government and CSOs can engage with community members, some include sensitization in schools, religious groups, age groups, non-indigenes groups, women groups, youth groups, elder’s council and public sensitization through a community town-criers, etc. Stakeholders also called for proactive and quality leadership in communities to facilitate sensitization and smooth transition in rural communities.
The meeting came to a close with all resolutions, ideas and concerns been collected by Spaces for Change in furtherance of their research and advocacy to the government and other stakeholders. Mrs. Chetachi Louis-Udeh called on all stakeholders to continue the good work they carry out in their various communities, and endeavor to share knowledge and sensitize other community members on Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan.
