GROWING GLOBAL CONCERN ON CLIMATE CHANGE: GREEN OPPORTUNITIES BEFORE DR PETER NDUBUISI MBAH TO LEVERAGE CLIMATE FINANCE AS LAUNCH PAD TO ACTUALIZE THE PROJECTED 2031/$30B GDP RAISE AMBITION

By Comrade Ikechukwu Umeh

The Executive Director, Green Globe Initiative (GGI), a subsidiary of Initiative for Gender and Social Development, Community Project Lead Coordinator for Clean Technology Hub, a hybrid hub for research, policy development, community engagement, & incubation of clean energy & climate resilience ideas in Nigeria and  member, Association of Electric Mobility and Development in Africa – ( AEMDA Nigeria). 

The 22nd day of April is set aside annually across the globe to commemorate the world *EARTH DAY* ” and for sake of emphasis; this day is basically set aside yearly to stress the need to save the earth from further degradation and probable extermination as a result of long-term shifts in temperature and weather condition primarily caused by human activities. 

To this end, as 2023-EARTH DAY is commemorated with the theme:  INVEST IN OUR PLANET” we at Green Globe Initiative (GGI) deliberately seized this opportunity to explore investment openings around climate finance as it affects E-mobility and critical investment opportunities open to the incoming governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah to leverage as one of the launching pads to actualize what he envisioned Enugu state can achieve in the next eight years under his stewardship.

This consequential climate friendly investment trajectory will not only facilitate smooth transition from fossil fuel dependent transportation system to healthy green energy powered system in Enugu State, Nigeria and Africa at large and drastically reduce carbon emission from the transportation sector across the African continent which stood at the alarming rate of 28.4 % of total GHG emissions, making transportation sector the second-largest contributor to climate change after the energy industries which contributes about 40.7%, it will also channel huge climate finances from Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Adaptation Fund (AF), African Developments Bank Group’s Green Mobility Facility For Africa(GMFA) and Bank Of Industry National Automotive Council (NAC) Fund,  as well as other bilateral or multilateral public funding to Enugu state, which will consequently push up the state GDP in the direction of the projected $30B GDP rise ambition by 2031 from the abysmal rate of $4,4B. In addition, If these openings are appropriately harnessed and climate finance windows are innovatively channeled to Enugu State, hundreds of thousands of 21st century green job opportunities will be created directly and indirectly in the process for our teaming youths in the Enugu State. 

                             

CLIMATE FINANCING

Climate finance basically refers to local, national, or transnational financing drawn from public, private and alternative sources of financing to address climate change because large-scale investments are required to significantly reduce emissions, particularly in sectors like the transportation sector that emit large quantities of greenhouse gases. Climate finance is equally important to mitigate transition and adaptation of climate friendly technology, for example, adaptation of E-mobility as a mode of transportation in African certainly requires significant financial resources to mitigate the financial Borden of transition from fossil fuel to green energy on developing societies and economies of African nations.

Furthermore, climate financing are majorly applied in two systematic ways; Finance Initiative which is focused on supporting private sector financial institutions, including Banks, Investors and Insurers to understand and mitigate climate risks, seize the commercial opportunities from climate action, and ultimately take all necessary measures to fully align portfolios with the mitigation and adaptation objectives of the Paris Agreement and in the other hand, climate financing is applied through climate finance-related projects with governments which focus on supporting developing countries to access climate finance (directly and through accredited entities) like the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the Adaptation Fund (AF) as well as through other bilateral or multilateral public sources.

Therefore, perusing through Dr. Peter Mbah 62 pages manifesto and considering what he has done at Pinnacle Oil and Gas, taking the company from the base to number one position in the downstream oil and gas sector, we at Green Globe Initiative are fully convinced that Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah has the capacity, competence and expertise to midwife multi-stakeholder partnerships with key players in climate finance, major actors and experts in green automotive sector, financial markets, banks, investors, micro-credit entities and insurance companies to birth *Pan-African Green Automotive Production Corporation (PAGAPCO) in Enugu State.* 

 PAN-AFRICAN GREEN AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTION CORPORATION (PAGAPCO) ENUGU STATE.

On 25th day of August, 2022, the Nigerian government, through National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Peramare Enterprise of Israel and SIXAI of Japan to start manufacturing electric vehicles (EVs) in Nigeria and the representative of Peramare Enterprise, said the set-up will begin in the first quarter of 2023 with assembling the vehicles and then move on to building them entirely in Nigeria and from all diligent empirical analysis, Owo/Umuode/Nchatancha axis of Enugu State is the most suitable location in Nigeria to situate a Pan African Green (Electric and Gas Powered) Automotive Production Corporation that will serve the African continent based on the following undeniable comparative advantages.

                  

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION

The large expanse of land cutting across Owo/Umuode/Nchatancha in Enugu State, southeastern Nigeria is the most central location in Nigeria linking the south-south, south-west, north central of Nigeria and Cameron. 

This treasure land is also enriched with critical features very vital for heavy-power dependent manufacturing projects of this nature and these features are: 

1) TCN 330/132kv Transmission lines went through this location and that makes it easy to step down power via a Substation to power plants in the Corporation. In addition, it’s located relatively close to TCN Enugu Region power station, which makes it easy to draw electric power directly from the station.  

2) High Velocity River flow through this location, providing natural water flow good for construction of modern hydropower generation system to power some sections of the automotive production corporation.

3) This location is enriched with natural gas reserve usable to power gas generators for the production plants and the finished products (gas engine automotives).

 

4) NNPC Gas and oil pipelines are laid across this location and NNPC Depot is situated close, accessing oil and gas directly from depot won't be a problem.

5) This location is close to the high gauge rail lines running from portharcourt to Maiduguri, moving finished products in and outside the country won’t be a problem.

6) Enugu international airport is about ten minutes drive from this location and about six hours drive to Cameron border. 

7) National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) situated EV- charging system development center for the southeast at University of Nigeria Nsukka, which is about forty five minutes drive from the location.

8) PRODA and ANAMCO are few metres to this location.  

                                      

HUMAN RESOURCES

One of the decisive factors in establishing hybrid production plant for relatively new technology like Green (Electric and Gas Powered) Automotives Production Corporation is availability of requisite human resources. Fortunate enough, Enugu State have in good number, globally renowned experts in both gas and electric engine technologies and renewable energy. Enugu state also have in abundance prominent investment bankers, international development agencies’ consultants and committed partners capable of pulling through this mega project. We have carefully identified critical indigent actors in this space and specific roles they will play to bring this vision to fruition in our drafted proposal which we look forward to deliberating with the incoming governor in due course.

 A SIMILAR PROJECT IS ONGOING IN ENUGU STATE

Our proposal for facilitation and situation of PAN-AFRICAN GREEN AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTION CORPORATION (PAGAPCO) in ENUGU STATE by Dr. Peter Mbah’s administration is not a tall dream, a similar project, although miniature in magnitude is currently ongoing in Enugu State. 

Reiner Lemoine Institut, a German based non-profit research institution, committed to achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal No 7 (ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all) and Clean Technology Hub, a hybrid hub for research, policy development, community engagement, & incubation of clean energy & climate resilience ideas in Nigeria are currently running a pilot project in five communities across five geopolitical zones in Nigeria to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

Fortunately, Ezere, a community in Awgu local government of Enugu State was mapped out in the South-east geopolitical zone for this pilot scheme and Comrade Ikechukwu Umeh, the executive director of Green Globe Initiative was selected as Ezere Community Project Lead Coordinators. 

The end expectation of this project is to build capacities and net multi-stakeholder partnerships to access climate finance and consequently provide affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all in the community. 

We have carried out the first phase of the project and in the couple of weeks, we will be launching the second phase of the project.

Coincidentally, comrade Ikechukwu Umeh, an illustrious son of Enugu soil is the executive director of Green Globe Initiative and Community Project Lead Coordinators for Clean Technology Hub and member of Association of Electric Mobility and Development in Africa – (AEMDA Nigeria). A green technology enthusiast, he bagged bachelors’ of Technology in Physics/electronic from the prestigious Nnamdi Azikiwe  University Awka, and currently running advance courses in renewable energy technologies. His deeply passionate about the birth of PAN-AFRICAN GREEN AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTION CORPORATION (PAGAPCO) in ENUGU STATE.

                                                 

 KEY RECOMMENDATION

Our humble suggestive recommendation is renowned technocrats in Dr Peter Mbah’s transition committee, in the likes of Prince of Obioma, prince Ike Chioke, Prof Chinedu Nebo should be persuaded by the incoming governor to transit into Enugu State Special Economic Advisory Council, because their inputs is highly required for the success of this project and hopefully many other mega projects in this magnitude that will require financial input from international development agencies.

Distance is no more a barrier to rich conversation with information technology tools; therefore, a hybrid digital board room should be created for physical/virtual members of the Special Economic Advisory Council to meet bi-weekly to deliberate on critical state economic issues and proffer actionable solutions.

In conclusion, building a world class PAN-AFRICAN GREEN AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTION CORPORATION (PAGAPCO) in ENUGU STATE is achievable because our tomorrow is here and the chief promoter of this vision, Dr Peter Ndubusis Mbah understands the terrain to actualization of projects of this nature and therefore, we look forward to the fulfillment of this vision in the near future.

@ Comrade Ikechukwu Umeh

(Physics/Electronics Technologist) writes from Enugu.