In Meeting With EU Officials, FG Reaffirms Commitment to Green Technologies to Build Competitive Economy

·      EU officials: Green industrialisation key for economic resilience, antidote for climate, economic shocks

·      Okereke: Nigeria must rise above writing documents, commit to financing, others

James Emejo in Abuja

The federal government has restated its determination to embrace cleaner technologies, renewable energy, and circular economy principles to build competitive industries that are future-proof, export-oriented, and environmentally responsible.

Director, Trade, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Rachel Mandi George, stated this at the opening of a policy workshop on Trade, Investment and Green Industrialisation in Nigeria: Strengthening Relationship with the European Union, in Abuja over the weekend.

She said green industrialisation offers the country a transformative pathway that “enables us to diversify our economy away from over-dependence on extractive resources, expand our manufacturing base, and integrate sustainability into production, consumption, and trade”.

George stressed that the country stands at a pivotal moment in its development journey, noting that as Africa’s largest economy and most populous nation, the “choices we make today regarding industrial growth, trade, and investment will determine not only our economic prosperity but also our environmental sustainability and social well-being”.

The director further noted that green industrialisation was no longer a choice but an economic necessity and a strategic imperative.

She said, “Through stronger Nigeria–EU cooperation, aligned policies, and targeted investments, we can build industries that create jobs, generate wealth, protect our environment, and secure Nigeria’s place in the emerging global green economy.”

“The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, working closely with its policy and research think tank, stands ready to support the outcomes of this engagement—translating ideas into reforms, partnerships, and implementable programmes.”

This came as Executive Director, Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI), France, Dr. Sebastien Treyer, said both Nigeria and the EU urgently needed economic diversification “if we want to be resilient and sustainable in today’s world, where we are experiencing many shocks—climate shocks as well as economic shocks”, adding that green industrialisation remained the best option towards a more resilient for future economy.

He said the new types of partnerships the EU is offering, including the Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships, which were negotiated with South Africa and announced in November last year – are meant to build shared industrial ecosystems between partner countries and the EU, where investments are made in factories, manufacturing, and also innovation in partner countries.

He said a new model for cooperation would be a win-win situation, “if there is good innovation and good manufacturing in those countries”.

Also, speaking at the meeting, Director, Centre for Climate Change and Development (CCCD), Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke, urged Nigeria to act fast as the window for reap climate-related opportunities was fast closing.

He told THISDAY, “Nigeria continues to rely too much on oil and gas for revenue, and this will become a very difficult situation as the rest of the world goes green.

“That depends on how serious we are. You cannot re-engineer your economy simply by writing documents. You need to follow through with financing, expertise, and the political will to translate these plans into real, high-performing industries.

“We have many policy documents, such as the National Energy Transition Plan and other strategies, but they have not translated into real, on-the-ground industrial manufacturing.”

Okereke, however, acknowledged that the federal government is beginning to recognise that climate change is not just an environmental issue but decarbonising the economy, and driving green manufacturing and green industrialisation.

Commenting on the expectation from the meeting, he said, “What we have done is to bring together some of the best minds from Europe and Nigeria to articulate concrete steps the country can take to advance its green industrialisation agenda.

“We will present the government with very clear, unambiguous, and practical ideas. However, it will still be up to the government to act on them.”

On his part, EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, said sustainability and adaptation to climate change are not only constraints but also opportunities for prosperity, economic development, and shared growth.

He said, “Our Global Gateway Strategy, in partnership with Nigeria and other African countries, is about leveraging sustainable investments to achieve prosperity while also preserving the planet.

“We believe this can be achieved through the development of value chains here in Africa and in Nigeria, creating a new development model that is green and more beneficial to the people of Nigeria and Africa.”

Essentially, the workshop seeks to among other things, assess Nigeria’s policy and institutional frameworks for trade, investment, and green industrialisation; identify gaps, opportunities, and comparative advantages in Nigeria–EU cooperation; propose practical and actionable measures to strengthen collaboration on sustainable trade, investment flows, and green industrial strategies and enhance dialogue between government, the EU, the private sector, and development partners.