Potential - News Agency Of Nigeria

Philip Daniel Yatai
Jul, Fri, 2025

Nigeria4H2 project to unlock vast, untapped green hydrogen potential – Shettima

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By Emmanuella Anokam

Vice-President Kashim Shettima says Nigeria4H2 Project is designed to unlock Nigeria’s vast and untapped potential in green hydrogen, to revolutionise the economy and secure Nigeria’s place in the 21st-century energy market.

Shettima said this while opening the Nigeria4H2 Project Results Workshop and End of Project Stakeholders’ Interaction on Friday in Abuja.

The Nigeria4H2 project was initiated by the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL), Federal University of Technology, Akure, Afe Babalola University and Federal University of Technology, Minna.

It was designed to assess the technical, infrastructural, regulatory, and investment landscape necessary to harness Nigeria’s green hydrogen potential to power transportation, produce electricity and manufacture fertilisers based on green ammonia in Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that one of the key results of the Nigeria4H2 Project is that Nigeria has a potential to produce up to four million tonnes of green ammonia per annum.

Shettima, represented by Dr Tope Fasua, Technical Adviser to the President on Economic Matters, said that the world was moving towards cleaner energy sources, and Nigeria must not be left behind.

In an address titled “Unlocking Nigeria’s Green Hydrogen Potential: A Renewed Hope for a Sustainable Future’’, the vice-president said that the Nigeria4H2 Project represented Nigeria’s strategic and decisive response to this global imperative.

He said that the green hydrogen, produced from renewable sources such as solar and wind power, offered a compelling pathway to diversify the country’s energy mix.

He said that it can also reduce carbon footprint and create new economic opportunities.

“Nigeria is uniquely positioned to become a leader in this burgeoning industry.

“We are blessed with an abundance of sunlight and wind resources that can be harnessed to generate clean electricity required for green hydrogen production.

“Our strategic geographical location and our skilled, youthful population provide the essential ingredients for a successful and scalable green hydrogen economy,’’ he said.

He said that with the global energy paradigm, undergoing a profound and irreversible transformation, the clarion call for a sustainable, decarbonised future was no longer a distant echo but a resonant demand.

Shettima, while commending the Energy Commission of Nigeria for providing a crucial platform to deliberate on the project, described it as a fundamental pillar of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Nigeria 4H2 Project at its core. This project is designed to unlock Nigeria’s vast and untapped potential in green hydrogen.

“It IS a clean, versatile and abundant energy carrier that can revolutionise our economy and secure our place in the 21st-century energy market.

“The Nigeria 4H2 Project perfectly embodies this principle. It is an intricate mosaic of public-private partnerships, international collaboration, and domestic innovation.

“This is not a task for the government alone. It requires the collective genius, capital and unwavering commitment of every stakeholder present today, he said.

According to Shettima, the economic ramifications of the project were colossal.

He said that by positioning Nigeria as a major producer and exporter of green hydrogen, it could create a new stream of revenue, reduce reliance on volatile fossil fuel markets, and attract significant foreign direct investment.

“Beyond the economic calculus, the Nigeria4H2 Project holds immense social and environmental benefits.

“It would contribute significantly to climate change mitigation efforts, helping to meet Nigeria’s international obligations under the Paris Agreement.

“By transitioning to a cleaner energy source, we can improve air quality, enhance public health and ensure a more sustainable future for generations to come.

“This is our moral duty to our children and to the planet,’’ he said.

Shettima described the workshop as a critical step in the project.

He charged the stakeholders to identify potential roadblocks to forge a common path forward by leveraging on collective expertise to develop a comprehensive roadmap. (NAN)

Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman

Philip Daniel Yatai
Nov, Wed, 2024

Education

Education: Senate pledges brighter future for Nigerian children

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By Naomi Sharang

The Senate has assured Nigerian children of a brighter future, enabling them to reach their full academic potential.

Chairperson, Senate Committee on Women Affairs, Sen. Ireti Kingibe, gave the assurance at an event to mark the “Universal Children’s Day” held at the National Assembly complex.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of this year’s event is “Investing in Our Future: Empowering Children to Build a Better World”.

Kingibe emphasised that children are the future of Nigeria, and it was essential to invest time, energy, and resources in helping them become the best version of themselves.

She stressed that children would ensure Nigeria’s greatness in the future.

The President of the NSE, Margaret Oguntala, represented by Dr Felicia Agubata, highlighted the importance of empowering and inspiring children to build a brighter future.

Oguntala emphasised that education, healthcare, and skill acquisition were essential investments in children’s potential to create a better society.

“Children are our pride and joy; they are the leaders of tomorrow’s progress.

“As leaders, parents and professionals, we bear a collective responsibility to nurture their dreams, safeguard their wellbeing, and equip them with the tools they need to thrive in an evolving world.

“Education, healthcare and skill acquisition are not mere privileges but essential investments in their potential to create a better society.

“I would like to call on all parents to take special interest in the development of their children.

“Let me also use this opportunity to urge our children to embrace education and skills acquisition with dedication and discipline.”

Also speaking, Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP-Kogi), called for the digitalisation of education, suggesting that e-libraries and digital learning platforms would improve efficiency and accessibility for students.

Sen. Neda Imaseun (LP-Edo), emphasised the importance of handing over the baton to children, acknowledging their crucial role in shaping the future.

However, he also stressed the need for better welfare and remuneration for teachers to provide quality education. (NAN)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

N20 bn annual IGR excites Gov. Sule of Nasarawa

Philip Daniel Yatai
Oct, Tue, 2024

Economy/Business

N20 bn annual IGR excites Gov. Sule of Nasarawa

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By Lucy Ogalue

The Governor of Nasarawa, Abdullahi Sule, says the state is one of the richest states in the federation if its potential are effectively harnessed.

Sule told newsmen in Lafiya that the state’s annual Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) has recorded significant increase from N7.7 billion in 2019 to more than N20 billion currently.

” We are also generating between N1.3 billion and N1.7 billion monthly,” he said.

He said that Nasarawa was blessed with hydrocarbons, solid minerals, precious metals, which are yet to be fully tapped; and a huge comparative advantage in agriculture.

He said that there was a marble site in Gudi, where a Chinese company produces tiles and other ceramic products.

“You will even be more excited if you had gone to the site of our lithium processing plant.

“There are also tin operations. These solid mineral factories are being duplicated across the state, and more companies are coming in to invest in the solid minerals sector right now.

“We pride ourselves on being the state housing the biggest lithium processing plant in the country.. These are the kinds of developments happening,” he said.

The governor said that his administration had also invested heavily in agriculture.

“Abdullahi Adamu, our first executive governor, has a farm of about 3,000 hectares.

“We have our own 10,000 hectares belonging to the state government. We have already started harvesting rice.

” We have not even signed any MoU with any buyer; instead, we are focused on harvesting the rice. We are keeping it in the warehouse, forming a pyramid of rice,” he said.

He said that the Nasarawa State Vocational and Technology Center in Lafia was one of the developmental initiatives of the state.

According to him, the idea informed by the need to produce needed artisans for Nigeria’s industrial development.

“When Dangote decided to construct the refinery at Epe, Lagos, the whole program started with the silos, the distillation unit, and some of the most sophisticated and expensive equipment.

“The manufacturers insisted that they needed skilled and certified technicians.
We needed to go to India because we couldn not find enough in Nigeria.

“Dangote imported 4,000 technicians from India. They were the only ones qualified and deployed because nobody would have that kind of installation unit and allow an unqualified mechanic to work on it.

“This is why I said that if I become the governor of Nasarawa, we will produce skilled technicians who will be ready for employment when another Dangote is looking for 4,000 skilled artisans.

“At least we can say we in Nasarawa have 500 technicians; go and find the other 3,500 elsewhere. This is my motivation and my dream,” he said.

Sule said that the state was committed to uplifting the standard of women and other vulnerable groups.

According to him , the government recently inaugurated a gender document, the first in the country.

He said that It was all about women, and is part of the Human Capital Development Agency, chaired by the Deputy Governor.

“All these initiatives are geared towards helping women.

“Nasarawa is a pacesetter when it comes to women taking the lead in leadership and careers.

” For the first time, a woman is the Chief Justice of Nasarawa, and for the first time, we have a woman as Vice Chancellor of the state university.

“This is part of my administration’s vision to empower women, and the reason is that I have had some very important women who played key roles in my life, and I have seen their impact,” he said.

The governor expressed commitment to providing quality infrastructure in the rural areas.

According to him, the wealth of Nasarawa is in the villages.

“The farming areas and the minerals we are discussing are located in the villages.

“The activities that will truly bring wealth to Nasarawa are in the villages. One of the things we must do is empower the villages to foster a sense of belonging.

” Our administration is committed to inclusivity. We do not want anyone to be left out.

“Youth, women, or the elderly; everyone is included. That is why we are providing training and skill acquisition for young people who have just graduated from school.

“We are also doing it for those who are retiring. We want the entire value chain to be incorporated,” he said.

He said that, though Nasarawa was among the states receiving the least allocation from the federal government, it remained one of the states with the greatest potential in human and capital resources.

“We have mineral resources, oil and gas. Oil drilling is taking place in Obi Local Government Area,

“Our state is one of only three states in the North where oil exploration is happening. For this reason, Nasarawa can not be poor,” he said.

He said that the state government was not borrowing money to execute any of its projects.

“Since I came in, we have not gone to the bank to borrow money. This is a mentality I brought from the private sector; we should not rely on borrowing.

“I decided to close all loopholes. There is a lot of money in Nasarawa, especially in internally generated revenue, but there are also many leakages.

“Our aim is to block these leakages, but we still have a long way to go in terms of revenue generation for the state,” he said.

Sule said that the government was also exploring other sources of revenue.

He said that proximity to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was also a major advantage for Nasarawa.

“You will see many projects motivated by our closeness to the FCT, especially in relation to housing.

“These projects are targeted at wealthy individuals living in the FCT, encouraging them to come to Nasarawa. That is one of our strategies,” he said.(NAN)

Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman