Sustainable Utilisation of Nigeria's Gas and Renewable Energy Resources

Living Earth Foundation (UK) working in partnership with International Institute for Environment and Sustainable Development (IIED), Niger Delta Wetlands Centre, Social Development Integrated Centre (Social Action) and formerly Living Earth Nigeria Foundation, is currently implementing a community based energy programme in the Niger Delta.

Project Aim

The three year project ‘Sustainable Utilisation of Nigeria’s Gas and Renewable Energy Resources‘ (SUNGAS), aims to catalyse the development of natural gas and renewable energy markets and sustainable community-based energy facilities within the Niger Delta, through policy reform and by demonstrating that alternative community-based energy facilities can provide sufficient power for meeting rural and urban community needs.

Another competent of this project is the Gas to Power scheme. Living Earth Nigeria Foundation previously held responsibility for the procurement, installation and commissioning of a gas plant to utilise flared gas to provide electricity to the local community. The gas plant will be owned and managed by a community based utility company established through the SUNGAS project.

Project Background

Nigeria has vast oil and gas reserves and abundant renewable energy potential. Yet the country is suffering an energy crisis, which has a major impact on its ability to reduce poverty and achieve the MDGs. About 100 million Nigerians (70% of the population) have no access to electricity and three-quarters of the population still use fuel wood for cooking, with all the associated health risks. Nigeria’s energy crisis limits opportunities to bring its citizens out of poverty. This project has been conceived to ensure access to modern energy services in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

Project Approach

Our approach offers a combination of policy advocacy, capacity building (for communities, government and civil society), and support for a gas utilisation demonstration project and scaling up/replication of renewable energy initiatives. The policy advocacy and capacity building elements of this proposal will provide a strong foundation for the other activities.

The practical components of the project will serve to catalyse energy markets and investment in community-based energy provision by demonstrating that such approaches can be affordable and sustainable, can generate healthy business opportunities and can stimulate economic growth in communities.

Expected results:

(a) Reformed policy framework and more favourable investment climate to promote the sustainable utilisation of flared gas for community-based electricity provision and the development of community-based energy service provision based on renewable energy sources.
(b) One community-based demonstration project for utilisation of flared gas to generate electricity for household and enterprise consumption and to support public services in the target community.
(c) Up to five community-based renewable energy facilities based on scaling up or replication of successful pilot initiatives to satisfy the energy service requirements of target communities.
(d) Institutions to enable work to continue beyond the life of the project, including a multi-stakeholder Energy Policy Forum, a civil society coalition to address energy policy, Community Energy Councils in target communities.

Key Project Activities:

• Stakeholder engagement programme around energy policy reform, including establishment of a multi-stakeholder Energy Policy Forum
• Advocacy and communications programme, including civil society coalition building for advocacy on gas utilisation and other energy policy
• Community-based energy needs assessments
• Community outreach and capacity building (including technical skills)
• Capacity building for State Governments and Local Government Associations (LGA) for enhanced energy service delivery
• Establishment of Community Energy Councils
• Implementation of scaled-up and/or replicated community-based renewable energy projects, with establishment of community-led institutions for managing the facilities
• Procurement, installation and commissioning of a gas plant to utilise flared gas to provide electricity to the local community, with establishment of a community-based utility
• Community-to-community learning and knowledge sharing
• Energy partnership recommendations (public-private partnerships for ongoing support of community-based energy service delivery)
• Research component: policy-oriented research; documentation of project experience as case studies
• Ongoing, participatory monitoring and evaluation process feeding into lesson learning processes
• Broad dissemination of case study materials and lessons learned

Key Project Outputs:

• Preliminary policy analysis report with recommendations for policy reform and for guidance by various levels of government
• An Energy Policy Forum established and continuing beyond the life of the project
• A reformed policy landscape to support community-based energy provision
• Regular policy briefings (up to six per year) and 2-3 policy-related Opinion Papers
• One gas-to-power plant (subject to feasibility approval by Technical Feasibility and Assurance Panel) with a community-owned utility company for delivery of electricity
• Up to five scaled up or replicated community-based renewable energy initiatives, with community-led institutions to own and manage facilities beyond the life of the project
• A series of radio programmes relating to project experience
• Up to five tool-kits (e.g. relating to participatory techniques; community capacity building; monitoring and evaluation; financial management), adapted to local contexts, used and modified in the course of the project, and made available for future work
• Three annual project review reports and one final summary project report
  Publication of project case studies and lessons learned
• A video documenting the experiences of the project

Project Funding

The project is funded by the European Commission and the UK Government’s Development for International Development. Shell Petroleum Development Corporation is also funding the Gas to Power element of the project.

This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of Living Earth Foundation and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.

More information can also be found on the IIED website