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The African Petroleum Producers Organisation has kicked against the push for a speedy implementation of energy transition in Nigeria and other countries in Africa.
APPO, an inter-governmental oil and gas organisation with 18 member countries, said Africa was biggest victim of the speedy energy transition being spearheaded by the developed nations of the world.
The Secretary-General, APPO, Omar Farouk, disclosed this at the 3rd Biennial International Conference on Hydrocarbon Science and Technology, organised by the Petroleum Training Institute, which was concluded in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said Africa was being coerced to stop the exploration of fossils, but pointed out that Nigeria and other nations on the continent, owe their people a duty to utilise the abundant oil and gas resources in their various domains for the development of their economies.
Commenting on the theme of the conference, which was, ‘The Future of the Oil and Gas Industry: Opportunities, Challenges and Development,’ Farouq stated that “we (APPO) very often receive enquiries about the future of oil and gas.”
He said, “It is obvious that the biggest victims of a speedy energy transition shall be the developing countries, especially those from Africa.
“This is because, should the anticipated technological breakthroughs in renewable energy research and development fail to materialise by the time they are expected to be fully deployed, and at the same time the oil and gas industry has been abandoned, leading to a shortage in global energy supplies, the little energy that is available shall be cornered by the rich countries.”