The Director General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, Professor Innocent Barikor, has inaugurated a Working Group for the Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage Technology and Innovation Platform.
Speaking during a virtual inauguration ceremony, Professor Barikor highlighted that the platform, which was initially launched in April, is designed to align Nigeria’s economic expansion with environmental sustainability.
The initiative takes aim at high-emission sectors, including energy, cement, manufacturing, and heavy industry.
The Director General, who was represented at the event by the Director of Partnership and Education, Mrs. Bintu Kolo Mohammed, explained that the newly formed working group will take the lead in technical coordination, stakeholder engagement, policy support, research collaboration, and implementation planning.
According to leadership, the group is expected to serve as a vital catalyst for knowledge exchange, innovation, capacity development, and strategic partnerships.
It further added that it will focus on identifying priority projects, promoting technology transfer, unlocking investment opportunities, and strengthening Nigeria’s readiness to participate in emerging global carbon management frameworks.
Members were urged to approach the assignment with utmost dedication, professionalism, and a strong spirit of collaboration.
Adding an environmental perspective to the conversation, the Director of Inspection and Enforcement at the agency, Dr. Christopher Beka, emphasized that carbon capture should be viewed as a matter of environmental integrity rather than just a technical mechanism.
He noted that the technology will be central to driving real emission reductions that protect Nigeria’s air, water, and land resources.
Looking ahead, Dr. Richard Victor Osu, who serves as the Coordinator of the Africa Carbon Management Technology and Innovation Centre of Excellence and the facilitator of the platform, projected that carbon capture technology is on track to become a core national strength for Nigeria within the next five years.
The gathering drew participation from an array of regulatory bodies, ministries, and private sector giants. Key organizations present included the National Council on Climate Change, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, the Association of Power Generation Companies, Core Trust and Investment Limited, Earth Sustainability Initiative, and Artery Resources Limited.
To ensure global best practices, the working group will be supported by an elite advisory panel of national and international experts. This advisory council features representatives from the International Finance Corporation, the Clean Energy Ministerial Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage Initiative, the International Energy Agency Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme, the University of Texas Gulf Coast Carbon Center, Banwo and Ighodalo, and Halliburton.
The innovative platform is championed by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the environmental enforcement agency and the Africa Carbon Management Technology and Innovation Centre of Excellence, in direct partnership with the global Clean Energy Ministerial initiative.