The Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), Osagie Okunbor, has stated that Nigeria, as a developing oil and gas exporting country, is clearly at the crossroads, on the ongoing energy transition.
He insisted that oil and gas would remain in the energy mix for some decades to come.
Okunbor, who is also the Country Chair of Shell Companies in Nigeria, spoke yesterday at the remodelled Akin-Deko Auditorium of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), as the Guest Lecturer at the 51st Founders’ Day lecture, entitled: “The Global Energy Transition and the Imperatives for Nigeria.”
The lecture, which was preceded at the same venue by an interdenominational service, was part of the activities to mark the 46th and 47th convocation, 51st Founders’ Day and golden jubilee award ceremonies of the Federal Government-owned university.
The Parish Priest of St. Albert’s Catholic Church, UNIBEN, Rev. Fr. Andrew Obiyan, in his sermon at the interdenominational service, declared that no other being could take the place of God, while maintaining that God remains the Almighty, and he urged the people not to despise God.
Okunbor, a 1984 graduate of UNIBEN, who is an indigene of Edo State, said in his 15-page lecture: “I believe oil and gas will remain in the energy mix for some decades to come. This is partly a consequence of the time needed for renewables to reach the necessary level of materiality. In part, it is also a consequence of the lack of substitution options in some parts of the economy.
“The world will need to meet its energy needs, at the same time as it tackles climate change. Not only do we require increasing levels of energy, due to our population increase, industrialisation and economic goals, we also generate over 90 per cent of our external foreign exchange earnings from the sale of oil and gas resources.
“The planned, gradual and global transitioning, away from oil and gas, is therefore cause for quick strategic thinking and collective action.”
Okunbor also stated that the ongoing energy transition, as with other transitions, would be a journey that would involve multiple approaches, collective action and undoubtedly present new challenges and opportunities.
He said: “Nigeria is well positioned to ride the wave of the current energy transition with its abundance of natural fossil fuels and renewable solar energy. We need to move with a greater sense of urgency and a clear sense of direction.
“World leaders have just signed a climate pact at the recently-concluded United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, United Kingdom. This underscores how very topical and critical the energy transition is.
“The impact of energy is far reaching, affecting every single human being. Energy goes hand in hand with economic activities. It lights, heats and cools our homes and places of work. Energy transports and connects people and goods through various modes of transportation. It is also useful in agriculture and in the manufacture of steel, cement, plastics and medicines, among others. The current energy transition drive will be the single largest technological revolution known to mankind.”
Okunbor also pointed out that UNIBEN, as one of the foremost universities in Nigeria, had played significant roles in research, education and advocacy, but challenged the higher institution to deepen the roles in this era of massive investments in low-carbon energy options and the rapid build-out of technologies that had never been deployed in the country.
Shell chief stressed that he looked to see the academia and graduates of UNIBEN who would build low-carbon technologies and lead Nigeria into the emerging decades, where renewable energy would take a more prominent role in the energy mix, thereby creating more economic opportunities for Nigeria and Nigerians.
The newly-installed tenth substantive Chancellor of UNIBEN, Prof. James Ortese Lorzua Ayatse, the Tor Tiv, in his closing remarks, described the higher institution as an excellent university that had carved a niche for itself nationally and internationally.
The first-class monarch, who is a two-time Vice-Chancellor of two Nigerian federal universities and Chancellor of a state university, admonished Nigerians and friends of the country to always seek God, the owner of the universe; pray continually and be team players.
The10th Vice-Chancellor of UNIBEN, Prof. Lilian Salami, who is also the Co-Chairperson of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, and the newly-elected Vice-President of the Association of African Universities, earlier in her welcome address, described the higher institution as the best university in the world.
Mrs Salami, who is the second female helmsman of UNIBEN, after Prof. Grace Alele-Williams, also disclosed that God used great men and women to pilot the affairs of the institution that was established on November 23, 1970, describing the managing director of SPDC as a successful alumnus of UNIBEN.
Leave a Reply