By Fatima Saka
The Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Environment, Udi Odum has reiterated Nigeria’s commitment towards the pursuit of achieving zero emission.
At the National Council on Environment hosted by the Federal Ministry of Environment in Abuja on Tuesday, Odum also noted that Nigeria’s financial contribution is meant to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Speaking through the Permanent Secretary Ministry of environment, Engr. Hassan Musa, on the theme “Pursuit of Zero Emission: A New Trajectory towards Global Environment Renaissance”, the minister emphasized that the theme was carefully chosen to deliberate on the issues that affect humanity.
“This has necessitated a wakeup call for action where the world should pursue a systematic and continuous reduction of greenhouse gas emission until a possible achievement of NetZero emission in the world is achieved,” he stated.
Speaking on, he said, “Distinguished stakeholders, ladies and gentle men, permit me to inform you that the government is not only fully committed to the ideals of good governance but very mindful of the goals of environmental sustainability, major objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“As there is a global consensus that climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of the extreme weather and climate events that are affecting us all.
“ However, our reliance on climate-sensitive natural resources and development gaps are at the greatest risk of climate hazards. It is well established that if left unattended, climate hazards will increase poverty, worsen inequalities, exacerbate food insecurity and cause health problems, amongst others.”
Also, Suleiman Abdulkarim, Perm Sec of the Kogi State Ministry of Environment, said that there a lot pending proposal from last year convention that needed to be approved.
“ if approved, the ministry will venture into it because they have a lot interventions in various areas like the waste management, erosion in Kogi state and among others.
According to Abdulkarim, waste management is a serious problem in Kogi state and that the federal ministry of environment has intervened but the project has not been completed and “it is one project that I am here to defend, which is Waste Wealth.”
However, Mallam Stanley Jonal, Director of Research Planning and Statistic Federal Ministry of Environment said that the National Council of Environment is a flashy program of environment that attempts to showcase policy initiative that has been on ground with the views to interrogate some of the policies and see how far they have been implemented.
Mallam Jonal added that whatever resolutions agreed upon on this NCE will be implemented, and that at the end of the exercise there will be a communiqué from the council.