Denmark has hailed Nigeria’s effort towards revamping her economy and delivering sustainable growth.
The Danish Minister of Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy, Dan Jorgensen, gave the commendation in Abuja on Monday.
Jorgensen, who was speaking to State House correspondents after he led his country’s delegation to the office of Vice President Kashim Shettima, noted that the new administration in Nigeria, led by President Bola Tinubu, is moving in the right direction.
“We had a very good meeting with the vice president. There is no doubt that Nigeria has embarked on a very ambitious travel. The new administration has put forward some very bold and visionary plans for the future,” he remarked.
ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION: We'll Prioritize Digital Technology, Clean Energy, Others Under Tinubu – VP @officialSKSM
Vice President Kashim Shettima has said Nigeria’s huge potentials in digital technology, the outsourcing industry and the clean energy sector will continue to… pic.twitter.com/hr5dKei8JU
— Presidency Nigeria (@NGRPresident) November 13, 2023
The Minister also underscored the level of collaboration between Nigeria and his country, adding that the two countries can also collaborate on green transition.
“I think that there is great opportunity for collaboration between Denmark and Nigeria; we already are in collaboration and are friends, but we can work even closer together, especially on the subject of green transition.
“We all know that we need to do more to fight climate change; certainly, that is obvious in Africa and Nigeria.
“Climate change is already evident, but it will be even more so in the future. And Denmark is a country with a lot of experience in doing exactly that so we have changed our own energy systems so that we are moving away from oil and gas and coal, instead using renewables and deploying energy efficiency measures,” he said.
He also gave advice to some Nigerians, who might be sceptical about the efficiency and advantages of green transition:
“When we started our own energy transition in Denmark, we did not do it because of climate change or even the environment because that was back in the 1970s.
“We did it for another reason: we wanted to become independent. We wanted to make the most rational decisions from an economic standpoint, and what it has shown in Denmark obviously is different.
“We can definitely share form our own experience, and that is what you can do by harnessing the wind, by using the sun – it’s all about exploiting the forces of nature to make energy for yourself; and today, offshore wind is cheaper even than coal for electricity production.”
He used the opportunity to encourage Nigeria to utilize solar energy in addressing its energy needs.
“Solar energy of course, I would imagine you have a huge potential for that here in Nigeria; it is also very cheap and reliable.
“So, I would say that we need to do that for the climate, but even if there was nothing as climate change, still this would be the sensible thing to do for economic reasons and to make sure that as many people as possible have access to clean affordable energy because, in my opinion, it is a human right that you can have electricity and energy in a home,” stated the Danish Minister of Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy, Mr Jorgensen, who is on a working visit to Nigeria, where he is also scheduled to meet with stakeholders in the energy sector.
