Stakeholders in the oil and gas sector have expressed concerns about the negative impact of gas flaring and called for efforts to end the menace in Nigeria and other African countries.
Participants at the 2nd edition of the International African Energy, Oil, and Gas Summit organised by African Peace Magazine Ltd. made the call in a communiqué made available to newsmen on Friday in Abuja.
The communiqué was jointly issued at the end of the summit held in Angola by the Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of the magazine, Justice Suleman Galadima (rtd.), and Mr Noah Ajare.
The five-day event, which began on Nov. 30, ended on Dec. 4.
The attendees agreed that there was an urgent need to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to green energy.
They said that the reliance on fossil fuels had had adverse impacts on the environment, “while the world’s energy needs are growing.
“Like many other regions, Africa has the difficulty of striking a balance between environmental sustainability and energy needs.
“There are several requirements for a seamless energy transition.
“It includes the need to lessen the negative effects of climate change while promoting economic growth, ensuring energy security, and reducing carbon emissions.”
They said achieving these goals would require embracing renewable energy sources, including biomass, solar, wind, and hydro.
The communique observed that most African countries, rich in oil and gas like Nigeria and Angola, are yet to be able to eradicate poverty, thus the citizens are not benefiting maximally from the proceeds of the oil revenue.
It was observed that the African economy is heavily reliant on oil and gas, and as such, there is an urgent need to diversify the economy.
The conference, therefore, resolved that sustained broad-based economic growth and poverty reduction would be critical to Africa’s economic growth and stability.
“Specifically, the summit called on African states and governments to refocus efforts on infrastructure development, improve power generation, improve agricultural productivity, and expand jobs in rural areas.
“There should also be greater attention to youth employment through education and entrepreneurship skills training.
“The summit stressed the need for a smooth energy transition and the need to embrace artificial intelligence.
“The summit analysed the critical issue of security and its intertwined relationship with economic prosperity,” among others.
The summit also resolved that all personnel and agencies responsible for preventing, controlling, and/or cleaning up oil spills in Africa should do more.
“They should be trained to follow the standard operating procedure.
“Training should be conducted annually. All spills should be documented and maintained.
“This should involve the host communities, the companies, and the government,” it said.
The event, which was attended by about 240 registered conferees, was declared open by the Deputy Governor of Luanda, Jorge Miguêns-Augusto, representing the Governor of Luanda Province, Manuel Homem.
The keynote speaker was Professor Anthony Adegbulugbe, Chairman of Green Energy International Ltd. (GEIL) and former Special Adviser on Energy Matters to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, represented by Prince (Barr.) Olusegun Ilori, a board member and director at GEIL.
Goodwill messages were received from the President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, and Gov. Dikko Umar Radda of Katsina State, represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Lawal Faruk, among others.
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