Nigeria Launches CCUS Platform to Advance Industrial Decarbonisation Agenda

Nigeria has strengthened its decarbonisation drive with the launch of a Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) initiative platform in Port Harcourt, signalling a more structured push to address industrial emissions and align with global climate commitments.

The platform, unveiled by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) in partnership with the Africa Carbon Management Technology & Innovation Centre of Excellence and supported under the Clean Energy Ministerial CCUS Initiative, is intended to serve as a coordination hub for the development and deployment of carbon management solutions across the country’s hard-to-abate sectors.

NESREA Director-General Innocent Barikor described the initiative as a strategic inflexion point in Nigeria’s environmental governance and industrial transition. He emphasised that CCUS offers a commercially relevant pathway for emissions reduction, particularly for sectors such as oil and gas, cement, chemicals, power generation and agriculture-linked industries.

According to Barikor, captured carbon presents opportunities for value creation through utilisation in industrial applications, including beverage production, enhanced oil recovery, synthetic fuels, fertiliser production and construction materials. He framed the initiative as part of a broader effort to embed circular economy principles within Nigeria’s industrial base.

The CCUS platform has been designed as a multi-stakeholder ecosystem, bringing together government regulators, academia, private sector operators, technology developers, financiers and development partners to coordinate research, pilot projects and investment flows.
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Professor Owunari Georgewill, welcomed the initiative, noting its alignment with Nigeria’s 2035 climate objectives and wider energy transition strategy. He highlighted the university’s Energy Technology Institute as a key enabler for research, skills development and innovation to support CCUS deployment.

Richard Victor Osu, Coordinator of the Africa Carbon Management Technology & Innovation Centre, said the platform is intended to position Nigeria as a regional reference point in carbon management technologies, while strengthening Africa’s role in global decarbonisation efforts. He added that Port Harcourt was selected due to its industrial base and potential to evolve into a CCUS innovation and implementation hub.
International perspectives were also reflected at the launch. Juho Lipponen noted that the initiative could help elevate Nigeria’s participation in global CCUS policy and finance discussions, while improving access to technology partnerships and deployment capital.

The hybrid event drew participation from stakeholders across North America, Europe, the Middle East and South America, alongside Nigerian regulatory bodies including the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, the National Council on Climate Change, and the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, as well as industry operators and development institutions.