Stakeholders have collaborated to examine the economic and social opportunities that are derivable from Energy Transition Plan (ETP).
The Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP), on Thursday, called on the Federal Government and other relevant stakeholders to intensify efforts in tackling environmental issues in Nigeria.
GIFSEP, in collaboration with Lift Humanity Foundation (LHF), also called on all to support the Federal Government for effective implementation of the ETP.
The call was made at a one-day workshop in Abuja, on: “Examining the Economic and Social Opportunities from Energy Transition Plan (ETP), programme.”
The Programme Manager, GIFSEP, Joseph Ibrahim, said the essence of the workshop was to assess the transition plan recently inaugurated by the government, and to determine the economic and social prospects and the opportunities, as set out in the objectives to achieve universal energy access by 2030, and carbon-neutral economy by 2060.
Ibrahim urged the government to involve non-governmental (NGOs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) for the effective implementation of other environmental programmes and policy, saying: “more importantly, we need a system of accountability to encourage people who are willing to support and strengthen the system in the implementation of the programmes.”
He advised the government to take environmental issues seriously, adding that an unhealthy and unsafe environment could lead to poverty and increase spread of diseases.
… the plan will, among others, lift people out of poverty, reduce Nigeria’s carbon footprint, drive economic growth and create jobs.
The Executive Secretary, LHF, Pius Oko, said the workshop brought together CSOs and other stakeholders to examine the economic and social opportunities and benefits to be derived from the ETP.
Oko said the inauguration of the ETP was a pathway to Nigeria’s effort to address emissions from fossil fuel and other non-renewable resources, adding that now is the time to take ownership of plan ETP to design climate-sensitive strategies to achieve growth objectives.
He noted that President Muhammad Buhari had made a commitment that Nigeria would achieve net-zero emissions by 2060, and ensure that energy, poverty and climate change crises were tackled in line with Sustainable Development Goal seven (SDG7).
According to him, the plan will, among others, lift people out of poverty, reduce Nigeria’s carbon footprint, drive economic growth and create jobs.
The Director, Centre for Environmental Studies, University of Abuja, Prof. Shuaibu Hassan, said evidence-based net-zero compliant energy transition pathway in Nigeria, offers investment opportunities across the value chains.
Hassan said the value chains cut across multiple sectors, regions, and industries in the country, adding that the Government is committed to a robust and timely inclusive energy transition.
He said the transition focuses on job creation, growth, and sustainability, which seeks to support its net-zero by 2060 ambition. (NAN)
