By Nneka Nwogwugwu
The Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor has reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to ensure global environmental sustainability.
The Minister who stated this at the 5th United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2) also highlighted major achievements by the Nigerian government to enforce this commitment.
In her address on Wednesday in Kenya, Ikeazor stated that Nigeria has adopted various strategic approaches which includes the development and implementation of National Forest Policy aimed at promoting sustainable forest Management practices; National Policies on Plastic Waste management and Solid waste Management which supports and promote circular economy, Drought and Desertification Policy to actualize Land degradation neutrality and increase community resilience, among others.
She noted the achievement of the Country’s Nationally Determined Contribution’s (NDC) with 20% emissions reduction unconditionally and 47% emission reduction conditionally by 2030.
She further stated that Nigeria has developed an Energy Transition Plan as a partway to achieve net zero by 2060. This is also in addition to the enactment of a climate change law in November, 2021 which provides a legal framework at Climate Change mitigation and adaptation.
Highlights of other activities engaged by the Minister include, some Bilateral engagements with the Director General, World Wild Fund (WWF) For nature, Dr. Marco Lambertini on Nigeria’s commitment to Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and the need to collaborate with WWF on the management of the ten (10) New National parks approved by Mr. President especially the 2 designated Marine Protected Areas in Bayelsa State.
The Minister also had an engagement with the Swedish Minister of Environment on the preparation and areas of collaboration for the upcoming Stockholm +50 to commemorate 50 years since the first UN Conference on human Environment was held in 1972 in Stockholm, Sweden.
The theme of the conference is Stockholm+50: a healthy planet for the prosperity of all-our responsibility, our opportunity.
According to her, Nigeria has signed and ratified all the Chemicals and waste related Treaties, and is currently strengthening her legal and institutional infrastructures for the sound management of chemicals and waste.
She further had another engagement with the Egyptian Minister on Environment and COP 27 President and discussed activities on the upcoming Cop27 at Egypt in November, 2022. The two Ministers also discussed the strengthening of Bilateral ties with both countries on environmental issues.
NatureNews reports that the theme of this year’s UNEA was “Strengthening Actions for Nature to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals”.