Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has said that the Nigerian government is seeking huge investments in renewable energy to solve the country’s power problems.
Receiving a delegation from Total Group, led by its Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Patrick Pouyanne, which called on him at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday, Osinbajo noted that this would help the government to grow the country’s economy.
Osinbajo urged investors like Total to go beyond the oil sector to partner Nigeria in investing in the power sector, particularly renewable energy.
“There is a lot of work that has been done to provide off-grid alternatives such as solar power. We have done quite a bit through the Energising Economies Initiative, to provide electricity to Nigerians in economic clusters,” he said.
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu applauded Total’s presence in Nigeria, especially its innovative Egina project.
He urged the Total Group to explore the need to build a refinery in Nigeria so as to consolidate its presence in the downstream sector.
In his speech, Pouyanné reiterated Total’s commitment to the long term development and improvement of the lives of Nigerians through the provision of clean and affordable energy.
He reaffirmed Total’s pledge to invest and continue to play in the Nigerian oil and gas sector.
GIK/APA