Denmark has expressed admiration for Nigeria’s strides in revitalising its economy and fostering sustainable growth. The Danish Minister of Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy, Dan Jorgensen, conveyed this commendation during his visit to Abuja on Monday.
Jorgensen, following discussions with Vice President Kashim Shettima, lauded the direction of the new administration under President Bola Tinubu, acknowledging the bold and far-sighted plans it has articulated for Nigeria’s future. “We had a very good meeting with the vice president. There is no doubt that Nigeria has embarked on a very ambitious travel. The new administration has put forward some very bold and visionary plans for the future,” he remarked.
The Minister highlighted the strong collaboration between Denmark and Nigeria, emphasising potential partnerships in green transition. “I think that there is great opportunity for collaboration between Denmark and Nigeria; we already are in collaboration and are friends, but we can work even closer together, especially on the subject of green transition. We all know that we need to do more to fight climate change; certainly, that is obvious in Africa and Nigeria,” he said.
Furthermore, he proposed that the two countries could engage in initiatives related to climate change and clean energy. “Climate change is already evident, but it will be even more so in the future. And Denmark is a country with a lot of experience in doing exactly that so we have changed our own energy systems so that we are moving away from oil and gas and coal, instead using renewables and deploying energy efficiency measures,” he stated.
Jorgensen also drew from Denmark’s own experiences in energy transition to encourage Nigeria to harness renewable energy sources. “When we started our own energy transition in Denmark, we did not do it because of climate change or even the environment because that was back in the 1970s. We did it for another reason: we wanted to become independent. We wanted to make the most rational decisions from an economic standpoint, and what it has shown in Denmark obviously is different… We can definitely share from our own experience, and that is what you can do by harnessing the wind, by using the sun – it’s all about exploiting the forces of nature to make energy for yourself; and today, offshore wind is cheaper even than coal for electricity production,” he explained.
He took the opportunity to advocate for the utilisation of solar energy in Nigeria, citing its affordability and reliability. “Solar energy of course, I would imagine you have a huge potential for that here in Nigeria; it is also very cheap and reliable. So, I would say that we need to do that for the climate, but even if there was nothing as climate change, still this would be the sensible thing to do for economic reasons and to make sure that as many people as possible have access to clean affordable energy because, in my opinion, it is a human right that you can have electricity and energy in a home,” he asserted.
Mr Jorgensen, who is on a working visit to Nigeria, is also scheduled to engage with stakeholders in the energy sector to further explore opportunities for collaboration between Denmark and Nigeria.
