Nigeria has reiterated its commitment to a fair and inclusive clean energy transition.
The commitment was made on Friday at tbe International Energy Agency (IEA) Global Commission on People-Centred Clean Energy Transitions holding in Brazil.
Speaking virtually at the first in-person meeting of the commission which is a sideline event of the G20 Brasil 2024 summit, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejoecha, highlighted Nigeria’s pioneering initiatives aimed at integrating workforce development and fairness into climate policies.
In a statement signed by her Special Adviser on Media, Mr Emameh Gabriel, the Minister stressed that the country’s approach focuses on economic empowerment and social equity as well as creating opportunities for workers in emerging green jobs, such as solar installation and renewable energy.
“in Nigeria, our clean energy journey has additional push with a focus on the transport sector through the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative.
“Nigeria’s CNG initiative, launched under the Presidential Initiative on CNG (Pi-CNG), targets not just a reduction in carbon emissions but also the creation of 25,000 green jobs.
“The Ministry of Labour and Employment, in partnership with key stakeholders, is leading efforts to ensure our workers are adequately trained and positioned for these emerging opportunities”, The Minister said .
According to her, the existing automotive technicians and mechanics are being upskilled to convert and retrofit petrol-powered vehicles to CNG-powered ones.
This move she added is pivotal not only for the nation’s climate goals but also for ensuring that the workers—many of whom have depended on traditional energy sectors—are not left behind in the shift to cleaner technologies.
“Our efforts go beyond the transport sector. Under the recently launched Labour Employment and Empowerment Program (LEEP), the Federal Government is rolling out a comprehensive training initiative targeting women and youth—two groups that are often disproportionately affected by economic transitions.
“This program will equip them with skills to participate in the green economy, with training focused on areas such as Solar Kiosk and Solar Panels Installation, Greenhouse farming, Recycling amongst others.”
Mrs Onyejeocha also stressed that Nigeria’s model serves as a blueprint for global leaders.
She said: “Climate action must be paired with economic empowerment. We must provide opportunities for our people to thrive in this new era.
These initiatives the Minister emphasized aims to create opportunities for workers in emerging green jobs, reflecting Nigeria’s commitment to properly transition workers and ensure that “we integrate the principle of fairness into the design of all clean energy policies.
“For example, women and youth are expected to make up 30-40% of those trained under LEEP, ensuring they can take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the clean energy sector.
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