By Onche Odeh
Nigeria has taken another major stride closer to making the best of the huge potentials of Green Hydrogen with commitments from major stakeholders in the energy sector to put in all that they could toward making the Nigeria4Hydrogen Project work.
The project officially commenced in January with a stakeholders engagement for the take-off of the BMF Commissioned Study to critically analyse the potentials, infrastructure and other enabling conditions for Green Hydrogen to fertilizer production in Nigeria.
With a budget of €342,700 Euros, (about N350 million), the study, which is expected to last for about four months would accommodate inputs from the academia, research intuitions, government agencies, among other.
At a dinner organised by the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science And Technology for German delegation on green hydrogen in Abuja, several stakeholders, including diplomats, ministers, and leaders of key agencies affirmed their desire to path of the Green Hydrogen Project in Nigeria.
Green hydrogen, a bi-product of electrolysis, a simple laboratory procedure that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity has been identified as a potentially large clean energy market which Africa can swiftly take advantage of.
The current global hydrogen market is estimated to be worth over $130 billion, just as the World Bank has predicted an annual growth of over 9% for the market. It has also been predicted that regions with low-cost markets and abundant renewable resources, like Africa, are the most attractive production markets.
The German Ambassador to Nigeria, Annett Gunther, while speaking on the potential of the renewable energy sector in Nigeria said it is capable of creating about 112 million direct and indirect jobs by the year 2030
Speaking during the dinner, she said this has been demonstrated in Germany where the sector has far created job opportunities for about 390,000 persons.
Gunther said the sector is actively According to her, it is a growing sector that is catering to the needs to reverse climate change, while contributing to economic growth through Job creation.
“Green Hydrogen does not only serve the climate change goals, but is also set to serve to feed the population in this part of the world,” she said.
This was also affirmed by Mr. Till Mansmann, the Green Hydrogen Commissioner, BMBF and Member of Parliament in Germany who was also at the dinner stressed the Nigeria 4 hydrogen project is one that would unearth the innovative prowess of Nigerians, especially the youth.
Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Also, Hon. Uche Nnaji, in his remarks said that the introduction of green hydrogen would help Nigeria to tackle climate change related issues.
According to him, the innovative project will also help in the areas of food security due to its usefulness in the production of fertilisers.
“Hydrogen is basically a zero carbon and through it Nigeria will be able to have enough Fertilizer to tackle food shortages. We will also be able to achieve the Paris agreement of climate change 2030, and our involvement in the 201O Paris Agreement will become a reality,” Nnaji said.
On the same occasion, Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, said that Nigeria would be able to tackle challenges like food security with the introduction of green hydrogen.
He said, “With this technology, fertiliser will be more accessible and available to farmers, and there will be food sufficiency.”
Also, the country’s Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation, Hon. Bello Muhammad Goroyo, said that the ministry was committed to supporting the project in order to harness it’s potentials in many areas .
Goroyo said that embracing green hydrogen would help Nigeria address climate change issues, which he said is in line with President Tinubu’s agenda for food sufficiency in the country
“We are committed to supporting this project with the right partnership to help grow more food in the country,” he said.
Speaking on the partnerships needed to make the project work in Nigeria, Goroyo said, “We are accessible. We want them to use our waters, the sea and dams to make sure we harness the potentials for the betterment of all Nigerians.”
Coordinator of the Nigeria4Hydrogen, Professor Ayodele Ajayi said Green Hydrogen is a tool for survival.
Speaking on how this works, Prof Ajayi said, “Like I have said at previous meetings, the world is at a pivotal moment in the fight against climate change, and green hydrogen has been glaringly identified as a powerful tool for turning the tide.
He said, Green Hydrogen is a clean, carbon-free energy source that can easily replace fossil fuels, helping countries like Nigeria achieve food security along the line.
