The Director General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Prof. Innocent Barikor, has inaugurated the Working Group for the Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage Technology and Innovation Platform (CTIP) as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s climate action and industrial sustainability agenda.
Speaking during the virtual inauguration, Prof. Barikor explained that the CTIP initiative, launched in April, was designed to align economic growth with environmental sustainability, particularly across critical sectors including energy, cement manufacturing, heavy industry, and manufacturing.
Represented by the Director of Partnership and Education at NESREA, Mrs. Bintu Kolo Mohammed, the Director General stated that the working group would provide technical coordination, stakeholder engagement, policy support, research collaboration, and implementation planning for the project.
According to him, the platform is expected to serve as a catalyst for innovation, knowledge exchange, strategic partnerships, and capacity development in carbon management technologies.
“The Working Group is expected to serve as a catalyst for knowledge exchange, innovation, capacity development, and strategic partnerships. It will also support the identification of priority projects, promote technology transfer, facilitate investment opportunities, and strengthen Nigeria’s readiness for emerging global carbon management frameworks,” he said.
Prof. Barikor urged members of the committee to discharge their responsibilities with professionalism, commitment, and collaboration to ensure the successful implementation of the initiative.
Also speaking at the inauguration, the Director of Inspection and Enforcement at NESREA, Dr. Christopher Beka, stressed that Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) should not only be seen as a technological solution but also as a critical environmental integrity mechanism for reducing emissions and protecting natural resources.
Similarly, the Coordinator of the Africa Carbon Management Technology and Innovation Centre of Excellence (ACMTI) and facilitator of the CTIP, Dr. Richard Victor Osu, projected that CCUS technology could become one of Nigeria’s major national strengths within the next five years.
The inauguration brought together key stakeholders from government institutions, regulatory agencies, the private sector, and development partners. Participating organisations included the National Council on Climate Change, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the Federal Ministry of Petroleum, the Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, NNPC Limited, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Core Trust and Investment Ltd, Earth Sustainability Initiative, Artery Resources Limited, and the Association of Power Generation Companies.
The CTIP Working Group is also supported by national and international advisers, including the International Finance Corporation, the Clean Energy Ministerial CCUS Initiative, IEAGHG, the University of Texas Gulf Coast Carbon Center, Core Trust Investment Banwo & Ighodalo, and Halliburton.
CTIP is being championed by the Federal Government through NESREA and ACMTI in partnership with the Clean Energy Ministerial Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage Initiative to advance carbon management innovation and support Nigeria’s transition toward a low-carbon economy.