By Dare Akogun
The German government has reiterated its commitment to strengthening its energy partnership with Nigeria.
The Director for Energy Diplomacy, Climate, and Security at the German Federal Foreign Office, Marcus Hicken, gave the indication while hosting media fellows of the BETD24, on Monday March 18, 2024 in Berlin ahead of the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue starting tomorrow.
Highlighting the importance of renewable energies, Hicken emphasized Germany’s ongoing operation of a hydrogen office in Nigeria and its ambition to further expand renewable energy initiatives in the country.
During the meeting, Hicken underscored the significance of engaging in dialogue with countries that are major fossil fuel exporters, stating that such collaborations are essential for meeting the global energy needs while aligning with its climate targets.
He emphasized that achieving Germany’s climate goals by 2045 is feasible through increased cooperation and the expansion of renewable energy sources, relying on hydrogen as an alternative.
It will be recalled that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz travelled to Nigeria in October 2023 in a bid to secure new energy and economic partnerships, and help diversify Germany’s energy supply.
Despite being Africa’s largest oil exporter and having the largest gas reserves on the continent, Nigeria has not extracted at large scale and has a poorly developed gas network.
