By Orekoya Peter Oreoluwa (IT Student, Ekiti State University)
In his address on Thursday, Ghana’s Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, urged Nigeria to embrace its role as a pivotal leader in fostering trade relations across Africa.
Dr. Prempeh highlighted Nigeria’s substantial population and adept trading capabilities, positioning it as an ideal candidate to champion intercontinental trade. He delivered this message during the Nigeria International Energy Summit in Abuja.
The minister stressed the importance of Africa’s innovation in both producing and consuming the continent’s resources and energy.
He advocated for the establishment of an Africa Energy Bank to mitigate funding challenges hindering oil and gas projects across the region.
Dr. Prempeh underscored Africa’s vast gas reserves, including Nigeria’s substantial 280 trillion cubic feet, alongside Mozambique, Angola, Senegal, and Cameroon.
He emphasized Ghana’s dedication to sustainable oil and gas development, emphasizing the necessity for ongoing investment in natural gas infrastructure throughout Africa, including pipelines, LNG terminals, power plants, and petrochemical facilities.
Dr. Prempeh expressed enthusiasm for Nigeria’s decade of gas, highlighting its potential to empower the continent’s self-determination.
Highlighting the regional demand for security and energy, Dr. Prempeh noted Nigeria’s pivotal position in fulfilling West Africa’s needs, particularly through projects like the Niger-Morocco pipeline.
He emphasized the transformative impact such initiatives could have on gas markets across the continent.
Moreover, Dr. Prempeh debunked the notion of natural gas and green energy as competitors, suggesting that affordable natural gas could complement and enhance the potential of green energy solutions.
He concluded by acknowledging Africa’s abundant green mineral reserves, including lithium, cobalt, platinum, iron ore, magnesium, and silica, underscoring their increasing importance in meeting global demand and advancing the continent’s development agenda.
