Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari has warned that an energy crisis in Africa would not alleviate the global climate crisis.
In an article in the Newsweek Magazine entitled, “The Climate Crisis Will Not Be Fixed by Causing Crisis in Africa,” Buhari, who is participating in the 26th Conference of Parties, COP26, which begins tomorrow, said, “Dire warnings of the end of the world are as old as civilization itself. But each year as the countdown to United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP) begins, they grow in volume and intensity. But because of their seriousness we must not do so rashly.
“It is an inconvenient truth, but energy solutions proposed by those most eager to address the climate crisis are fuel for the instability of which they warn. No more clearly can this be seen than in Africa. For today’s 1.3 billion Africans, access to low-cost and reliable energy is the highest of all possible concerns.
“It also seems unnoticed that in our global rush for electric cars we risk replacing the last century’s scramble for fossil fuels with a new global race in lithium for batteries. Where significant deposits are to be found, such as in Africa, this could endanger geopolitical stability.
“This makes the economic migrations the U.N. warned of more likely. We must think carefully whether our dash to terminate the use of fossil fuels so swiftly is as wise as it sounds.
“There is no single “green bullet” that can be deployed either in Africa or the world that solves concerns of environmentalists while simultaneously offering the power to fuel hope of greater wealth and progress for the extra one billion citizens of our African future.”
President pointed out that there are certain things that could be done, starting with transitioning to cleaner, but consistent, energy production.
“And we can also learn from our friends in Europe and America who do not always practice what they preach. We call on them to lift the moratorium they have placed on fossil fuel investments in Africa. Nigeria has pledged to eliminate illegal gas flaring by 2030—a by-product of our oil industry—and harness it for electricity production.
“Our intention to end Nigeria’s single greatest contribution to greenhouse emissions may stall without it. Yet there are no such limitations on investment in natural gas power in the West where it is considered a transitional energy source. There is a deal to be done at COP26, but none without the agreement of the nations of Africa.
“The climate warnings we hear them. We live them. But no one has the right to deny the advancement of our continent.”
At COP 26 in Glasgow, President Buhari is expected to highlight Nigeria’s key priorities and action to tackle climate change as well as progress on the country’s transition to low carbon economy.
