Yemisi Izuora
President Muhammadu Buhari, has called on African countries to collaborate towards achieving a green energy future.
Speaking through the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, Buhari, sought the collaboration of African countries for innovative solutions to the challenges faced by Nigeria, with regard to technologies and products that will lead to the growth and industrialisation of the continent and financing of green energy projects.
Speaking at an energy and resources summit, the President said that stakeholders should explore opportunities within the Nigerian mining sector, the underexplored minerals, “which are key to clean renewable energy, the success stories and the strides towards driving Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the sector.”
He said: “Africa requires a huge amount of energy generation to drive its development, even as the world shifts away from fossil fuel to clean and renewable energy sources, in the fight against climate change. In the midst of this energy transition lies many challenges and opportunities for a continent yearning for development.
“I believe this should spur us as a continent of diverse people to co-operate and collaborate more, initiate innovative solutions to the challenges that are peculiar to us, come up with technologies and products that will lead to the growth and industrialisation of Africa in a more environment friendly manner, while encouraging the development and financing of green energy projects.
“Participating countries in the Declaration of Cooperation would strengthen their cooperation, through joint assessment and viewpoints, with the aim to financing sustainable African Natural Resources and Energy Projects that are key to the transition, for the benefit of producers and consumers and to regularly review at technical and ministerial levels the status of our cooperation.”
