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From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Nigeria has intensified efforts to develop a low-carbon hydrogen economy, with the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) saying the country could unlock investments worth $337 billion by 2035 through its vast natural gas resources and clean energy transition plans.
Speaking at the opening of the 3-Day Capacity Building Workshop on Low-Carbon Hydrogen Economy for MDAs and Private Sector Stakeholders: Strategic Awareness and Alignment Summit in Abuja, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, said Nigeria is well-positioned to become a major player in the emerging global hydrogen market.
According to him, Nigeria possesses 209 trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves, the largest in Africa, while its climate commitments require massive investments in cleaner energy sources over the next decade.
“The question before us is whether the resources we already have can be converted into the investments needed to build a sustainable energy future,” he said.
Abdullahi described hydrogen as a strategic opportunity capable of driving industrial growth, job creation and economic diversification.
He noted that hydrogen has featured in Nigeria’s energy plans for years, including the National Energy Policy and the National Energy Master Plan, but said the country is now moving from planning to implementation.
The ECN boss revealed that the Commission established a Hydrogen Committee in 2023 to coordinate national efforts and currently serves as Nigeria’s Project Executing Entity under the United Nations Industrial Development Organization Global Clean Hydrogen Programme.
He explained that Nigeria is among only nine countries selected for the programme’s first phase and is already implementing green hydrogen pilot projects.
“This summit is not the beginning of Nigeria’s hydrogen journey. It is the point where we accelerate our efforts and move towards practical implementation,” he said.
Abdullahi added that the three-day summit was designed to strengthen collaboration among government agencies, policymakers, regulators and private-sector stakeholders involved in the hydrogen value chain.
He disclosed that participants would develop a 10-Point National Hydrogen Leapfrog Roadmap and produce an actionable communiqué to guide future implementation.
Also speaking, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, represented by Permanent Secretary Mukhtar Yawale Muhammad, warned that Nigeria could lose out on opportunities in the rapidly growing global hydrogen market if urgent action is not taken.
He said the country already has the resources and policy framework needed to become a major hydrogen producer and exporter.
According to him, the Climate Change Act 2021, the Energy Transition Plan and the Federal Government’s Industrial Policy all identify hydrogen as a key driver of economic growth and industrial development.
The minister disclosed that work on a National Hydrogen Policy is at an advanced stage and would provide the regulatory certainty needed to attract investors.
“We will ensure that regulatory challenges do not stand in the way of Nigeria’s hydrogen ambitions. Where coordination is needed, government will provide it. Where political will is required, government will provide it,” he said.
In their goodwill messages, Mr. Etiosa of Stantec, Mr. Fatai Kazeem, representing Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, Godfrey Ogbemidian on behalf of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, and Ms. Otobong Udofia, representing APPL’s Chief Visionary Officer, Ms. Idara Ekpo, expressed support for Nigeria’s hydrogen ambitions and called for stronger collaboration among government, development partners and the private sector to drive the country’s clean energy transition.
