By Lateef Adegbite
Barely two months after leaving office, Yemi Osinbajo, a Professor and a Senior Advocate Of Nigeria, SAN, who incidentally was a former Nigerian Vice President during ex-President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration, has been appointed by the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, GEAPP, funded by the Rockefeller And IKEA Foundations, including the Bezos Earth Fund as a global Energy Advisor . The Rockefeller Foundation and partners were said to have invested $10 billion to establish the GEAPP, in November, 2021.
Simon Hartford, the GEAPP, Chief Executive Officer, CEO, was said to have broken the cheery news of the appointment of the former Nigerian President as the international agency Global Avisor at a press conference in Lagos, the nation’s commercial nerve centre on Tuesday, July 11, 2023.
Given an insider information of the global body, Hartford, had said that it is an alliance of philanthropic Organisations, governments in emerging and developed economies, technology, policy and financing partners. He had said that the common mission of the Organisation is ‘’to enable emerging economies to shift to a clean energy , pro-growth model that would accelerate universal energy access and inclusive economic growth ,while supporting the global Community to meet critical climate goals during the next decade.
He had stated further that the aim of the GEAPP, is to reduce future carbon emissions, expand clean energy access to one billion people all over the world and create at least 150 million new. Jobs. The international agency, according to Hartford, was essentially established by the partners to build the enabling environment , capacity and market conditions for private sector institutions, as well as serve as catalysts new business models through innovation and entrepreneurship to deploy high –risk capital to encourage private sector solutions and assist just transitions solutions.
In breaking the news of the appointment of Osinbajo as the new GEAPP, global energy Advisor, last Tuesday, Hartford had described the Nigerian born Professor of Law as ‘’a respected role model of public service at the fore front of policy formulation and implementation on crucial developmental issues related to national planning, climate change , enabling business and investment environment , governance and social investment’’.
There is no gain saying the fact that the Leadership of the GEAPPP, may have been following closely the steps taken by the Nigerian former Vice President since 2021, when he had advocated the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG, as transition fuel for developing economies, in Dubai, United Arab Emirate, UAE, during a week-long forum of World LPG Association , WLPGA.
The then Nigerian Vice President who was worried that a growing number of developed economies have restricted public investment in fossil fuels, including natural gas, had said that’’ it was not good enough and that the policy needed to be reversed.
He may have taken advantage of the WLPGA, forum, to make his position clear on’’the fight against climate change , a global transition away from carbon- based fuels must account for the economic differences between countries and consequently allow for multiple pathways to achieve the net-zero emissions.
He had argued that the world should not have ‘’ to choose between energy poverty countries and climate change as this could only be ‘’addressed with both natural gas and LPG, as transition fuels alongside other renewable energy resources’’.
Osinbajo may have alluded to the fact that Nigeria, as one of the emerging economies with a proven gas reserves of about 206.53 trillion cubic feet , worth about $803.4 trillion and an additional 66 TCF, to be proven, an indications that the country has the most extensive gas resources in the African Continent, thus makes a good sense from the point of view of balancing energy security with environmental sustainability ‘’to use the LPG as a transition fuel’’.
The Professor of Law, was said to have explained the imperative for ‘’the global community to balance concerted efforts at addressing global climate crisis with energy-poverty issues in developing economies aside from the climate crisis. He was said to have revealed at the last Dubai, WLPA, forum that the Nigerian government has established a 20 million gas cylinder scheme, stressing that five to 10 million of these had introduced in 12 pilot states in 2022.
He was said to have further revealed at the Dubai, WLPGA, forum, that the t Nigerian government have also established an LPG, Energy Fund in the order of $50 million in the first phase of the LPG Scheme, in partnership with African Export, Import Afrexim bank.
This may have enthused the officials of the WLPA, at the forum, who were said to have started making moves to draw him closer to the international agency to be part of it to benefit from his expertise to solve the world existential climate crisis and reduce the emissions in large, of the advanced economies .
This may have informed why Hartford, the GEAPP, CEO, had asserted that his ‘’professional expertise and ledership , alongside his broad global network and relationships with governments will be ‘’a valuable catalyst in their mission for affordable access to clean energy and a just transition for all’’.
There is no gain saying the fact that Leadership of the international agency from the on- set were said to have recognized the need to adopt a new approach that would create a major change in the world climate crisis. They may have alluded to such multiple players like the governments, investors, innovators, power companies and Philanthropy.
Recall that the GEAPP, CEO, had said that the appointment of the former Nigeria Vice President as the international agency, global Energy Advisor, will assist it in actualising its mission of ‘’accelerating clean energy deployment in developing countries in the African Continent, Latin America and the Caribean.
Hartford who had broken the cherry news of the former Nigerian Vice President’s appointment as the GEAPP’s global energy Advisor had said that going by his mandate he will also support the global body’s partnership with governments ‘’to enhance the enabling environment and delivering the effectiveness to unlock faster and greater artificial flows into the clean energy sector’’.He did not stop there.
He had said that he will also continue to do his job as a leading advocate for just transitions of LPG, in the developing economies.
Many believe that the appointment Prof. Osinbajo as the GEAPP global energy Advisor, underlines its commitment to partnering with governments and communities across the African Continent, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean to the transition to clean energy systems that are driving the world economic growth , generating jobs and sustainable livelihoods and helping to meet the urgent climate goals in the next decade.
An elated Osibanjo, who could not hide his feelings about the international appointment had said that it was unexpected. It was not surprising why he had seen the appointment ‘’to join the movement for green energy access as an honour’’. .
He is optimistic that the GEAPP’s collaborative model,, sense of urgency, and focus on unblocking systematic climate change as well as aligned with the ambitions of emerging economies as thy seek a greener future for their citizens will change the global economy
