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Keyamo reiterates Nigeria’s efforts at reducing carbon emissions

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, has again emphasised the commitment of Nigeria to its pledge under the Paris Agreement towards the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Nigeria, Keyamo maintained, has played an active role in supporting the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) efforts in reducing carbon emissions.

Speaking at the consultative meeting on the development and deployment of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), low carbon aviation fuel and aviation cleaner energies in Abuja, the minister said the commitment of Nigeria and the decision taken at the meeting would encourage the rest of the African continent on transition to a low-carbon economy.

He further used the opportunity to reaffirm how the President Bola Tinubu administration has placed aviation at the center of its national economic development, saying; “Our collective efforts will further enhance an enabling environment for renewable or waste-derived aviation fuels that meet global sustainability criteria.

“It is my believe that as key players and decision makers, this meeting will provide the required atmosphere to discuss and come up with strategies for mapping out the development and deployment of sustainable aviation fuels, low carbon aviation fuels and other aviation cleaner energies in Nigeria.”

The meeting, according to Keyamo, is borne out of the desire for Nigeria to develop a clear roadmap and targets for the use of cleaner energy in aviation, in accordance with the ICAO resolution on global framework on aviation cleaner energies.

This step, the minister said is not only laudable, but necessary for “our airlines to be able to have competitive operating advantage not just in our sub-region, but in the continent.This meeting is therefore important not just for coordination and collaboration among all stakeholders in the aviation and energy sectors, including government agencies, industry players, civil society, academia, and international partners, but also to raise public awareness and education on the benefits and opportunities of cleaner energy transition for aviation, as well as the challenges and risks of inaction.”

He described collaboration as the only way to facilitate the development and deployment of aviation cleaner energies in Nigeria and ensure that the country is not left behind in aviation environmental protection initiatives.

A number of technical analyses done Keyamo said revealed that Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) has the greatest potential to reduce CO2 emissions from International Aviation.

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