The federal government said cooperation between Nigeria and Qatar in the area of gas-energy transition from non-renewable energy would strengthen ties across the global gas sectors of the two countries.
Nigeria’s foreign affairs minister, Yusuf Tuggar, disclosed this in his lecture at the Doha Diplomatic Institute on the sidelines of President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Qatar, according to a statement by Alkasim Abdulkadir, spokesman for the ministry.
Mr Tuggar said the synergy between Nigeria and Qatar would foster gas diplomacy and energy transition from non-renewable energy and benefit the African continent and the world.
Qatar and Nigeria are blessed with hydrocarbon deposits that place them at the centre of the new energy equation. While Qatar has the third-largest gas reserves in the world, Nigeria is best known as Africa’s largest oil producer.
“Nigeria is a gas province with a bit of oil. We are sitting on reserves of 208TCF. We use our reserves to develop our economy and we are confident we can develop partnerships that will support the process of clean-energy transition,” said the Nigerian minister.
Mr Tuggar, the statement indicated, also said it was incumbent on gas-rich countries such as Qatar and Nigeria to make a case for gas as a cleaner alternative and transition fuel fit for human use.
According to the ambassador, Nigeria needs partners such as Qatar, which shares similarities with Nigeria, of gas as a resource for human utility and with whom to develop gas assets further and expand market shares for the benefit of both countries.
“Nigeria can help Europe and other industrial economies diversify sources of energy supply. In turn, a more stable market will create stable prices, a platform for economic growth, improved living standards, and new opportunities.
“Nigeria currently has a 6-train LNG with a nameplate capacity of 22MTPA, an 8MTPA 7th train underway, as well as an 8th train planned for the near future.