Mrs Monilola Udoh, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Science, Innovation and Technology

Seeking for alternative source of Energy, the Federal Government has commenced the implementation of the National Policy on Methanol Fuel Production Technology.

The Government through the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) has engaged Gas Techno Nigeria, as Consultants to facilitate the implementation of green energy technology.

Mrs Monilola Udoh, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry disclosed this at a One-day Stakeholders’ In-Country Capacity Building Workshop on the Implementation of the National Policy on Methanol Fuel Production Technology in Abuja.

Udoh said Gas Techno Nigeria would interface with automobile industry component which forms part of the program for implementation of the policy.

According to the Permanent Secretary “this programme’s component is intended to increase Nigeria’s capacity to sequentially switch to methanol as a partial to complete substitute for Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) in transportation sector.

“It will also help to support Nigeria’s full-scale implementation of documentation of emissions savings.

“This project focuses on management of methanol fuel retrofitted cars as well as comparative emission data generation, analysis and management”

The STI Permanent Secretary said the programme would help in reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases including Methane (CH4), Carbon dioxide (CO2) from burning of fossil fuels and other anthropogenic causes.

She said it would also help in the utilization of the flared gases and protection of the environment.

Udoh explained that Methanol, as a clean burning fuel was gaining recognition globally as a viable alternative to fossil fuel.

She noted that since Nigeria was one of the largest oil producing nations, with the largest natural gas reserve in Africa, it was important that the country explore alternative energy sources.

“And methanol fuel production is an excellent option into greener economy,’’ the Permanent Secretary said. Udoh stated that Nigeria with some other countries signed the Paris Agreement in 2015 which took effect in 2020.

She said the implication was that Nigeria is a technologically bereft nation and staying on the trajectory of technology consumption will spell doom for an ever-growing population.

However, that the country was committed to 47 per cent cut in global warming under the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) in seven sectors namely oil and gas, energy, agriculture among others.

She said the National Policy on Methanol Fuel Production Technology was approved for implementation by the Federal Executive Council(FEC) during its meeting of October 23, 2019

The event witnessed goodwill messages by Director General of the Nigerian Building and Road Research (NBRRI), Prof. Samson Duna, Dr Olushola Odusanya, newly appointed Director General of the National Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM) among others.

Dr Peter Ekweozoh, Chairman of the Technical Committee gave an update on the activities of the implementation to Inter-Ministerial Committee on Methanol Fuel Production Technology.

There was also a technical session which featured  presentation and adoption of branding stickers.