US, Nigeria hold strategic energy dialogue in Washington

 A U.S.-Nigeria inaugural strategic energy dialogue, which will be held from Sept. 11 to 12, is underway in Washington, DC, U.S.A.

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The senior delegation from the Nigerian government is led by the Minister of State Petroleum Resources Ekperikpe Ekpo, the U.S. Embassy in Abuja stated on Wednesday.

It said the Department of State is to host the dialogue, while Geoffrey Pyatt, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR) will lead.

The U.S. delegation will include senior officials from the Bureau of African Affairs, and the Office of the Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy.

Others are USAID’s Power Africa, the Department of Energy, the Department of Finance Corporation (DFC), the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), and the Export-Import Bank (EXIM).

The Embassy said the dialogue would also include a public-private discussion to be hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to deepen private-sector partnerships and investments between the U.S. and Nigeria.

“Over the course of the dialogue, U.S. and Nigerian officials will discuss opportunities to expand cooperation on improving energy security and access, decarbonization of the oil and gas sector, and accelerating the energy transition.

“They will also engage in strategies to enhance Nigeria’s power sector, including electricity production and distribution.  

“The dialogue will advance bilateral cooperation on key State Department energy initiatives, such as the Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST), Women in Energy, and the Clean Energy Demand Initiative (CEDI).

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“Additionally, participants will engage on promoting progress on U.S. government initiatives like Power Africa, which aims to increase electricity access and promote energy, investment in sub-Saharan Africa, USAID’s Gas Flare Programme, and the Department of Energy’s Net Zero World,” the Embassy said.

It explained that understanding the fundamental role which the private sector plays in meeting mutual bilateral energy and climate goals was necessary, as the dialogue aimed to foster enhanced collaboration between the U.S. and Nigerian private sectors.

The dialogue is also expected to create new opportunities for U.S. and Nigerian businesses, contribute to energy sector growth and sustainability in both countries, and deliver shared prosperity to their peoples.

“The Dialogue is a key outcome of a series of successful bilateral engagements, including Secretary of State Antony’s Blinken’s trip to Nigeria earlier in January,” it added.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Deputy Secretary Kurt Campbell had met with Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar during the sixth U.S.-Nigeria Binational Commission in April.

Also, Assistant Secretary Pyatt had earlier met with President Bola Tinubu in 2023, where this dialogue was propose