US Places Bid to Be Nigeria Chosen Partner in Energy Transition

Geoffrey R. Pyatt, the Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, has stated that the US wants to be Nigeria's chosen partner in terms of energy transition, energy access, and energy security.

Pyatt made the statement in an interview on June 19 with news outlets. He pointed out that the US government is working to encourage a strategic energy dialogue (SED) including all stakeholders in Nigeria's energy industry.

Furthermore, Pyatt stressed that the SED is a continuous process rather than a one-time event. It seeks to build channels for ongoing interaction and collaboration among professionals and stakeholders in the energy sector.

By encouraging this strategic energy discussion, the US hopes to improve its collaboration with Nigeria as well as contribute to the country's energy targets and goals.

His words

• “So, we are listening to what Nigeria’s concerns are while navigating issues around energy security, energy transition and energy access. Our experts are bringing the best partnership they can offer in this regard. 

• “It is a chance for the USA to share experiences from its own energy transition journey. But also, to build international partnerships. As I said today to President Tinubu, the USA wants to be Nigeria’s preferred partner in energy transition, security, and access. 

• “We know that Nigeria is a leader in the region, and they work with various partners around the world. But this is an opportunity to work more bilaterally. We have a strong corporate footprint here and we want to grow that footprint even further.” 

He stated that when American businesses see President Tinubu and his administration taking action on some of the past challenges, such as currency rate unification, they see greater opportunities for Nigeria and the US to do more and facilitate more private sector partnerships in Nigeria's energy sector. According to him, the Joe Biden administration is committed to cooperating with Nigeria in the energy sector and regards Nigeria as a key partner.

Pyatt also listed certain areas where the US government is making efforts to solve similar energy transition concerns as Nigeria. He emphasized the Energy Bureau Technical Assistance Programme, which is aimed at decarbonizing the production of fossil fuels. He also mentioned the power sector program, which focuses on assisting countries and regions in transitioning to renewable energy systems.

He said

“We have Nigeria as a founding partner for the Climate Energy Demand Initiative (CEDI), that role was announced last year, we rolled out CEDI during COP27 at Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt. But we have not made a lot of progress in terms of execution and implementation because we were waiting for the 2023 general elections to be conducted and a new government put in place. Now we can go back and hit the accelerator on the CEDI cooperation.”

Under the Buhari administration, the United States Special Envoy on Climate Change, John Kerry, signed the Climate Energy Demand Initiative (CEDI) with Nigeria's Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, in September 2022.

Nigeria and the United States will collaborate under the $12 billion project to cut carbon emissions in the country while exploring natural gas for industrialization and electricity supply and maximizing the use of renewable energies, particularly solar and wind. In order to promote food security, the US will also support Nigeria's decarbonization goals and invest in smart agriculture technologies.