NIES 2023: Stakeholders harp on collaboration to achieve energy sustainability
By Ibiyemi Mathew
Stakeholders at the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) 2023 have made a case for Nigeria public and private sector players to embrace collaboration to promote energy efficiency and ensure sustainability.
This was emphasised during the panel session that addressed the topic “Partnerships and Energy transformation” moderated by Head of Startegic Partnerships, Energy Institute UK, Mrs Yewande Abiose.
Speaking during the panel session, Director AOSWELL Limited, Ms Charlotte Essiest stated that one of the key values the industry should look at for energy sustainability is collaboration.
“There are many linkage sectors that are connected to the energy sector. What will drive growth in the industry is collaboration,” she said.
Reiterating this,the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Bashir Jamoh noted that, “We must be able to key into collaboration. We need to look at avoiding duplicating functions such as taxes amongst government agencies.
“Good governance must be at the front burner for a sustainable blue economy and sustainable energy. Government must have deliberate policies to ensure they target maximisation and sustainable energy,” he said.
Highlighting why most private sector players don’t collaborate, Managing Director, Starzs Investments co, Mrs Iroghama Ogbeifun, noted that stakeholders in the industry must work to increase the currency of trust amongst private players to increase the ease of collaboration.
Speaking on the role of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPCL) in achieving energy efficiency, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, the Chief Strategy and Sustainanility officer of NNPCL noted that the NNPCL has so far championed cost optimisation in the industry.
“We recognise that individually operators have been able to optimise costs but there are opportunities that exist when we work together. It is important we identify key major cost drivers and work together to optimize costs.
“In pushing through with the sustainability agenda, we cannot overemphasise the importance of collaboration regarding the common costs that cut across players in the industry.”
