Trump’s Energy Transition Policy Aligns With Nigeria’s Agenda- Komolafe

… NUPRC Declares March 18 Upstream Decarbonisation Day

The Commission Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) Engr Gbenga Komolafe has said that the stand of the administration of the United States President, Donald Trump aligns with the energy transition agenda of the federal government.

Komolafe, however, reinstated the country’s commitment to decarbonisation by declaring March 18 as ‘Upstream Decarbonisation Day.’

The CCE made the declaration on Tuesday at the Decarbonisation and Energy Sustainability Forum in Abuja

The NUPRC boss spoke on the theme, ‘Navigating the Global Energy Transition: Leveraging Decarbonisation in Nigeria’s Upstream Oil & Gas for Sustainable Value Creation.’

The NUPRC has been at the heart of Nigeria’s commitment to energy transition but the regulator is keen on utilizing the country’s 37.5 billion barrels of crude oil and 209.26 trillion cubic feet of natural gas to fund its transition to a cleaner fuel.

The oil and gas sector accounts for nearly 90 per cent of foreign exchange earnings and 70 per cent of government revenues.

However, the pressure of energy transition under the Joe Biden government led to dwindling investment in the oil and gas projects.

THE WHISTLER reported that the U.S. Energy Secretary, Chris Wright described as unfair the calls being made by Western countries asking Nigeria and other developing countries to abandon the use of hydrocarbon resources as a way to support the transition to cleaner energy.

Wright had said at the 2025 CERAWeek by S&P Global that “Africa has enormous natural resources and we’ve had years of Western countries, including my own, shamelessly saying, don’t develop coal. Don’t develop coal. Coal is bad. That’s just nonsense. Hundred per cent nonsense.

“Coal has been the largest source of global electricity for a hundred years. Coal transformed our world and made it better, extended life expectancy and grew opportunities. And coal globally will be the largest source of electricity for decades to come. That’s not a policy. That’s not a desire. That’s just a reality.”

According to the NUPRC boss, the position of the Trump’s administration aligns with Nigeria’s strategy of leveraging natural gas as a
transitional fuel.

Komolafe said, “The global leaders’ stance has also opened the door for Nigeria, and Africa as a whole, to chart its own transition pathway that balances climate action with economic growth and energy security.”

Aside from a just energy transition, Komolafe said Nigeria is seeking energy access that will deliver value to Nigerians.

The NUPRC boss reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to decarbonization, adding that Nigeria’s journey towards decarbonisation goal has been underpinned by transformative initiatives designed to reshape our energy landscape.

Some of the transition initiatives include the National Gas Policy (NGP) of
2017, the National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP), initiated in 2021 and to achieve the Decade of Gas Initiative by 2030.

Komolafe said, “The enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), the launch of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Initiative (Pi-CNG), the landmark introduction of Presidential Executive Order 40 in 2024, and the strategic implementation of the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme (NGFCP) signify a new dawn for the Nigerian gas development: one
that dismantles longstanding barriers and unlocks unprecedented opportunities for growth.”

He said the NUPRC has embraced decarbonisation as an opportunity to unlock investment, drive growth, and position Nigeria as a leader in responsible energy utilisation and efficiency.

To achieve the decarboniosation goal, the CCE said the NUPRC has established the Energy Sustainability and Carbon Management department.

The department is focused on championing and driving comprehensive decarbonization and sustainability agenda.

“I hereby seize this defining moment to declare March 18th as Upstream
Decarbonisation Day: a day that will stand as a symbol of our commitment, a rallying point for action, a reminder of our responsibility to reinforce our sustainability efforts, and accelerate our drive toward a cleaner, more resilient future,” he added.

Trump’s Energy Transition Policy Aligns With Nigeria’s Agenda- Komolafe is first published on The Whistler Newspaper