The study tour brought a high-level delegation of decision makers from Nigeria’s public and private sector to Berlin, headed by the Hon. Uche Nnaji, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation. The aim of the study tour was the transfer of international best practice and knowledge exchange regarding investment and regulatory environment to develop green hydrogen and its derivatives in Nigeria.
The delegation made their first stop at the Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office) Germany where they had the opportunity to dive deep into discussions about German-Nigerian hydrogen cooperation, the Nigerian hydrogen market development and the German hydrogen import strategy.
H.E. Uche Nnaji (Hon. Minister FMSTI) and Dr. Ejenavi Odafe (Director NMDPRA) presented on Nigeria’s hydrogen projects. The presence of the colleagues from Federal Foreign Office, Oliver Rentschler (Head of Division for Foreign Climate Policy and Geo-Economics) and Holger Klitzing (Head of Unit Hydrogen Diplomacy), the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) allowed for a comprehensive discussion on Germany’s hydrogen ambitions.
In Hamburg, the delegation took part in the Hydrogen Technology Expo Europe 2024. The Expo was dedicated to discussing advanced technologies for the hydrogen and fuel cell industry. Members of the delegation benefited from valuable insights into the entire hydrogen value chain and innovations for low-carbon hydrogen production. During the 2-day visit, the delegation had the chance to interact with 200+ solution providers. The Expo provided an opportunity for members of the delegation to hold bilateral conversations with equipment manufacturers and OEM.
At last, the delegation visited the H2Global Foundation in its headquarters in Hamburg, as an essential funding program for the global hydrogen market uptake. Here the delegation did not only learn about the famous chicken-and-egg dilemma in the hydrogen production and offtake and how the H2Global double-sided auction mechanism is helping to overcome it. But the delegation also learnt about the preparation of the second tender, in which Nigerian companies can as well bid for the African continent contingent.
The study tour was finally rounded up by a boat tour through the Hamburg port. Participants learned about Hamburg’s decarbonization targets and gained insides into the global shipping industry. But everyone also enjoyed the chance to unwind and appreciate another perfectly sunny fall-afternoon in Hamburg.
For more news about the H2-diplo activities, follow us on LinkedIn: H2-diplo – Decarbonization Diplomacy | LinkedIn
