The United Nations Development Programme has called for an accelerated transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, warning that continued dependence on oil exposes countries to conflicts, supply disruptions and environmental degradation.
Speaking at the media launch of the Africa Minigrids Programme, Nigeria National Pilot Pipelines, on Thursday in Abuja, UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ms Elsie Attafuah, said the global energy landscape had demonstrated the urgent need for cleaner and more resilient energy systems.
She said recent geopolitical tensions had shown how vulnerable the world remained because of its dependence on oil.
Using the Strait of Hormuz as an example, she noted that many people had never heard of the strategic waterway until the recent conflict involving Iran, yet any disruption there would affect lives across the globe.
“I’ve never heard of this place. Who would have thought that a place that many of us have never heard of, let alone visited, would have an impact? A disruption in that Strait would have an impact in all of our lives, irrespective of where you were living. From Japan to the U. to Gambia to Nigeria.”
