Nigeria’s energy transition plan will create up to 840,000 jobs, says Ikeazor

Sharon Ikeazor, minister of state for environment, says Nigeria’s energy transition plan will create up to 840,000 job opportunities.

She said this on Monday at the meeting of the high-level interministerial committee on climate change in Abuja.

TheCable had reported that President Muhammadu Buhari, at the COP26 climate conference in November 2021, said Nigeria has developed an energy transition plan while also pledging the country’s net zero emission target by 2060.

Ikeazor said ahead of the COP27 climate change conference taking place in Africa in 2022, the country intends to translate its plans and strategies into implementation through strategic investments and partnerships.

According to her, the jobs will include 170,000 opportunities in off-grid solar deployment and 200,000 jobs in the supply chain for clean cooking solutions.

“As part of the national preparatory process for COP27, which in the sense is an African COP, the question on our front burner would be how do we translate all these plans and strategies into implementable projects?” she said. 

“Climate change law provides an overarching legal framework to articulate a long-term climate plan for Nigeria to achieve a net-zero carbon emission target, national climate resilience, with the structure of the ICCC providing roles for each MDA in line with respective mandates to align, analyse gaps and opportunities an prioritise activities for the implementation of the NDC. 

“The NDC activities are expected to be weighed against the Energy Transition Plan, National Adaptation Plan, Gender Action Plan, National Development Plan 2022–2025 to ensure alignment. This will accentuate activities with associated costs (as per sector) and timelines.

“Dear all, taking cognizance of the challenge that comes with transitioning to a green economy, one interesting fact to note is that Nigeria’s energy transition has a significant potential to create new jobs, including up to 170,000 jobs in off-grid solar deployment in the power sector and up to 200,000 jobs across the supply chain for clean cooking solutions. Net job creation can be up to 840,000 jobs with the boost of electric vehicles and off-grid solar.”

She added that with just eight years until the deadline for achieving the energy access sustainable development goal seven (SDG7), it is imperative that actions are accelerated with partnerships, frameworks, policies, and regulations to attract investments and achieve set objectives.