Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has warned that Nigeria risks being left with stranded natural resources as the world accelerates its transition towards cleaner energy, urging the country to take urgent and deliberate steps to navigate the emerging climate economy.
The Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ctz. Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday, September 12, 2026, on the public presentation and unveiling of Quest for Green, a book authored by 86-year-old former Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria LNG, Dr. Godswills S. Ihetu.
According to the statement, Otti served as Chief Presenter at the event held on Friday, September 11, where he also formally unveiled the book, which he edited. The event attracted several eminent Nigerians and other dignitaries.
The book examines changing climate patterns and global efforts to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change.
Speaking at the event, Otti declared that climate change had moved beyond theoretical debate, stressing that attention should now focus on achieving net-zero targets while ensuring climate justice and adequate funding for the transition.
“Climate change is already with us. The debate is no longer whether it exists. It is about net-zero targets, climate justice, cost and funding of the transition,” Otti stated.
The Governor stressed the need for Nigeria to maximise revenues from its existing natural resources before the global energy transition potentially turns some of them into stranded assets.
He consequently called for deliberate government policies that would ensure a just and properly funded transition while protecting the country’s economic interests.
Otti also disclosed that Abia State had commenced its shift towards cleaner energy through the deployment of 40 electric buses, with another 30 expected to be added.
He said the state was targeting 100 electric buses by the end of the first quarter of 2027 as part of its clean-energy transition programme.
The Governor explained that electric vehicles have significantly fewer moving parts than internal combustion engine vehicles, making them easier to maintain.
He also highlighted innovations such as battery-swapping technology, which he said could help address concerns over charging infrastructure and encourage wider adoption of electric vehicles.
Otti further noted that the reality of climate change could already be seen in changing weather patterns, citing the absence of the usual harmattan towards the end of last year and early this year as an indication of the changing climate.
The Governor, according to his Chief Press Secretary, commended Ihetu for authoring Quest for Green and also acknowledged the contributions of former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, to the project.
Otti urged Nigerians not only to acquire copies of the book but also to read and apply the ideas contained in it.
To promote a stronger reading culture within government, he disclosed that copies of the book would be distributed to members of the Abia State Executive Council, with members expected to review assigned sections during subsequent EXCO meetings.
The initiative, Otti said, would ensure that the ideas contained in the book remained part of policy discussions within the state government.
In his remarks, Ihetu, who recently turned 86, traced the origin of the book to an article Otti wrote on the back page of ThisDay newspaper on September 13, 2021, focusing on gas and climate change.
Ihetu said he subsequently wrote a rejoinder, which Otti graciously published in his column two weeks later, thereby opening a broader debate as more articles on climate change appeared in the column.
He said the discussion eventually culminated in Otti’s article on COP26, titled “Of Glass Houses, Stones and Glasgow,” published in late November 2021.
The author said the series of exchanges and discussions ultimately contributed to the development of Quest for Green, which provides an account of changing climate patterns and global adaptation efforts.
Among those who joined Otti at the unveiling were Ezekwesili, who chaired the occasion; Dr. Imo Itsueli; former Minister Don Etiebet; Chief Tunde Afolabi, Chief Executive Officer of AMNI Petroleum; and Dr. Ifeyinwa Nwakwesi, among other dignitaries.
