… launches plan to plant 10 million special trees across 774 LGAs, including FCT

… dedicates efforts towards offsetting tons of carbon emissions

Oredola Adeola

Women In Energy Oil and Gas (WEOG) has declared September 3 as ‘World Decarbonization Day’ and revealed the plans to plant over 10 million special trees with higher carbon absorption rates, nationwide, as part of its decarbonization initiative.

Dr. Oladunni Owo, National President of WEOG in Nigeria made the declaration during the Decarbonization Initiative Press Conference on Tuesday in Abuja.

Advisors Reports gathered that the WEOG is a forum created to promote gender diversity and inclusion in the male-dominated energy, oil, and gas industry in Nigeria.

Speaking on the theme “Collaboration, Innovation, and Action for a Low Carbon Oil & Gas Industry,” Owo, who doubles as CEO of Blackgold Energy Authorities explained that despite advancements in human investments and industrialization, there is more carbon in the atmosphere than is sustainable for human life.

She said, “Suddenly, we started hearing words like the depletion of the ozone layer, global warming, and carbon pollution and emissions.”

Dr. Owo mentioned that decarbonisation is a process where carbon can be converted, stored, captured, and sequestered, keeping it within the oil well or underground so it does not escape into the atmosphere.

She said, “With decarbonisation, our crude oil and gas resources can still be very useful. Research has shown that oil and gas are not just about fuels (petrol, diesel, DPK, and other forms of fuels).

“Oil and gas are also about fertilizers, polyester, rubber, petrochemicals, and several other products that are not necessarily fuel.”

She further stated that the decarbonisation agenda of WEOG focuses on making the exploration and production of oil and gas clean to minimize environmental impact.

Owo said, “The solution is decarbonisation, and currently, ongoing research on how this can be achieved shows that the simplest and most achievable method is tree planting.

“These activities can be carried out by everyone, including the high and mighty,” she said.

“It is on this basis that we have initiated the plan to plant over a million special trees, with a minimum of 20,000 trees in each of 774 Local Government Areas, including the Federal Capital Territory.

“Recent research carried out by one of us revealed that there are different special trees with higher gradients of Carbon absorption.

The President of WEOG emphasized that in Nigeria and Africa at large, there is a significant energy gap, recommending that a diverse range of energy resources, including solar, wind, hydrogen, nuclear, and gas, is needed to close these gaps.

This, according to her, is the reason why WEOG is initiating the concept of bringing decarbonisation to the forefront.

“We want to elevate the decarbonisation agenda to another level, and we aspire to raise the bar of advocacy to the level where this can be seen as another Conference of the Parties (COP), spreading from Nigeria to other parts of the world,” Owo said.

Providing further details in respect of the World Decarbonisation Day, Dr. Owo explained that WEOG initially picked June 24, 2024, but due to interest from various groups, including international bodies, an unveiling was done in Houston, Texas, during the recently concluded OTC.

She said, “Following this development, President Bola Tinubu also showed interest, leading to the selection of September 3, 2024, as the official date.

“The President is expected to make the main declaration, and September has been declared Decarbonisation Month, with Decarbonisation Week from September 3 to 5 in Abuja.

Owo has therefore invited stakeholders, industry experts, and potential partners to join and support WEOG in the advocacy.

She also confirmed that WEOG has initiated the National Decarbonisation Park.

Mrs. Toyin Yusuf, Chairperson of the Future Energy and Renewable Committee at WEOG, who also commented on the sideline of the press conference, outlined key projects under the decarbonisation initiative, including the 10 million Tree Decarbonisation Project, Renewable Energy Transition Project, and Clean Cooking Project.

She listed other projects including the Electric Vehicle project, monthly Decarbonisation Webinars, the Annual World Decarbonisation Summit, and various collaboration and partnership opportunities.

Prince Nwosu, a subject matter expert at the event, encouraged women in the oil and gas industry to embrace the initiatives and visions of WEOG. “It cannot be well if you are not aware,” he said.

He challenged women to lead the charge and sustain advocacy on climate change and its impact.

Oladunni Owo invited stakeholders, industry experts, and potential partners to support WEOG’s advocacy efforts and confirmed the initiation of the National Decarbonisation Park.