US-Africa Summit: Why Buhari spoke on Climate Adaptation, Just Energy Transition – Aide

By Azeez Mojeed Olusola

Facts have emerged on why Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, spoke on Climate adaptation and Energy Transition on the first day of the 2022 US-Africa Summit in Washington.

Senior Special Assistant to the president on media, Garba Shehu told journalists that Buhari’s administration top priority was completely eliminate the use of petrol/diesel generators in the country by 2060 hence the qneed to deploy renewables, particularly solar, at an unprecedented scale.

Mr Shehu added that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the plan earlier this year and adopted it as a national policy.

President Muhammadu Buhari restated the Nigerian government’s target of generating 30 gigawatts of electricity by 2030. Buhari said this during a discussion panel on “Just Energy Transition” at the on-going US-Africa Leaders’ Summit in Washington DC.

He outlined the comprehensive energy transition plan of his administration, in response to issues associated with climate change.

President Muhammadu Buhari was accompanied to Washington DC to attend the United States-Africa Leaders Summit by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Dr Mrs Uzoma Emenike and the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande.

Buhari was also accompanied by Bala Mohammed and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, governors of Bauchi and Kwara, respectively, as well as some ministers and other top government officials.

Other Nigerian diplomats on the ground to welcome the president were the Consul-General of Nigeria in New York, Amb. Lot Egopija and his counterpart in Atlanta, Amb. Amina Smaila.

President Buhari will joined other African leaders at the High-Level Meeting held between Tuesday, Dec. 13 and Thursday, Dec. 15 at the instance of the United States President, Joe Biden.

“African governments, civil society, diaspora communities across the United States, and the private sector to continue strengthening our shared vision for the future of U.S.-Africa relations,” Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, said in a statement.

The forum was hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce which focuses on increased trade and investment between the United States and African nations.

On the sidelines of the summit, the Corporate Council of Africa hosted the Nigerian delegation to a U.S.-Nigeria Business and Investment Forum Business Roundtable.

According to him, during the meeting, Nigerian organisations and businesses are expected to sign agreements with their American counterparts.