30 million jobs available as Nigerian government improves energy

Announcement

As a result of investing in the energy transition, which is one of the most important sectors that the Nigerian government has focused on to create jobs for the affiliated Nigerian youth, 30 million new jobs would be available in the energy sector globally.

The Nigerian energy sector has seen a boost with two new newspapers released by the Federal Government that were intended to serve as a roadmap for energy transformation, efficiency, diversification and reliability in the country to power the Nigerian industry, improve economic development and attract more investment.

The documents being the National Energy Plan (NEP) and Revised Editions of the National Energy Plan (NEMP), prepared by the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), were launched in Abuja on Wednesday, becoming the first energy policy document published in the country.

The Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas) Resources (Hr. Ekperipe Ekpo), who spoke of 30 million new jobs at the launch, urged public and private sector partners to harness the power of collaboration, creativity and technology in solving energy challenges for a sustainable future energy.

The energy transition, he stated, “is the basis for increasing sustainable development, reducing emissions of pollutants to improve health, supporting economic growth, creating new investment prospects in green technologies and reducing the rate of global warming, which has disastrous consequences for both the environment and people.

“Everyone benefits from increased energy security, cleaner air, universal energy access and several environments – a fantastic window for employment, social advancement and financial security.”

Some experts, however, believe that the Nigerian energy sector requires more investment to meet global standards. ECN CEO, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi has often emphasized that “Nigeria needs about $4 billion annually to meet the federal government’s 2050 renewable energy targets” as it increases investment in the sector.

The expert, who did not want his name on the paper, said that while the documents emphasize the government’s “determination to ensure sustainable energy development, Nigeria faces challenges in the energy sector such as inadequate infrastructure and limited access to electricity, “which may hinder its efforts to maximize the sector’s enormous transformation potential.”

He advised that Nigeria must adopt a comprehensive approach that prioritizes energy resource diversification as well as energy efficiency and energy availability in the sector to ensure reliable access to energy for all Nigerians.

While these are laudable goals, the ability to achieve them lies in the bowels of time.