The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, (PENGASSAN) says the International Energy Agency (IEA), has forecasted significant growth in the renewable energy sector by 2025 and beyond.
It however said that the oil and gas will still contribute 50% of global energy mix by 2050.
PENGASSAN’s National President Comrade Festus Osifo, disclosed this assertion on Monday at the maiden edition of the associations Energy and Labour Summit in Abuja with the theme “Energy Transition and Its Effect on the Workforce in the Nigeria Oil and Gas Sector”
He said the horrendous effect of climate change has rekindled the world’s apprehension on how to eliminate the footprint of fossil fuel and reduce its attendant effects on the environment.
He added that the call for quick action has led to several climate change initiatives and world conferences where several decisions were taken on how to curb the menace and bequeath a world that is safe.
Osifo said energy transition remains a global burning issue as it affects all sectors and nations regardless of location or affliation.
“But in all of these conversations, the attention and discussions have been majorly on investments, climate, profit with little or no focus on the workers who ensure all other factors of production are assembled”
“It is on this premise that our association, being proactive and poised to protecting the job of its workforce, chose to organise the PENGASSAN Energy and Labour Summit”
According to him, crude oil theft and its effects, cost Nigeria over 60milliin dollars daily hence the need to move to renewable energy which he says will create more employment in the country.
Osifo further said as much as we advocate that global region be allowed to transition at its own pace, “we mustn’t lose focus on the reality of today that will shape tomorrow’s future.
At the summit oil and gas experts who lend their voices to the course urge members of the association to imbibe technology and skills acquisition, innovation and business development to take advantage of energy transition.
Dr Bala Wunti, the Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), underscored the need for PENGASSAN’s workforce to remain relevant for the challenged future, in the light of energy transition.
Wunti challenged the association to strive to acquire more leadership skills, media and IT literacy, problem solving techniques and business developments among others.
He advised the association to take personal responsibility to learning and development.
Speaking on the need to create a balance between energy security and energy transition, he said Nigeria had already planned to achieve energy sufficiency by 2026 and attain net-zero emission by 2060.
According to him, everyone wants energy, nobody wants emission but there is no way we can achieve that level of stability of energy security without the use of fossil fuel.
He decried the fact that fossil fuel was being discriminated upon and lacked finance while Ukraine-Russian war had triggered many things in the sector including the reintroduction of business of dirty coal.
Wunti said that larger economies were prioritising energy transition ahead of climate change concerns.
He said in order to meet the market demand we possibly need to attract investments and legislations that could enable energy transition, create balance and ensure attainment without compromising energy security.
On her part, the Executive General Manager, Human Resources, Total Energies, Evi Ifekwe said about 78 million jobs would be created in view of energy transition.
Ifekwe said there was a need for PENGASSAN workforce to acquire technological and entrepreneur skills, adopt research and new ways of learning on future energy to be well positioned.
Also speaking Jide Adebulehin, the General Manager, Strategy Planning and Documentation, Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), said it was making efforts to incorporate more training, retraining and courses in curriculum of tertiary institutions in line with energy transition.
He said it would partner with stakeholders in the tertiary institutions to redo the curriculum in the schools to fit into the professions and trainings needed.