Ogun to adopt new national energy policy for industrial growth

The Ogun State Government has promised to key into the new national policy, which allows states to generate their own energy through circular economic practices for further industrial growth.

The Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Ola Oresanya, gave the assurance yesterday while welcoming a delegation of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation’s (UNIDO) National Experts on Advancing Nigeria’s Green and Just Transition to Net Zero Through Circular Economy Practices to the state in Abeokuta.

Oresanya said that since clean energy is so important to the state as the industrial capital of the country, with over 700 large and over 300 smaller industries, as well as the production of more than 1,400 metric tonnes of plastic and more than 1200 papers being recycled with ferrous and non-ferrous metals being recycled in the state, there is a need to key into the national policy on energy through circular economy practices that will lead to the production of cleaner energy in the state.

“This is necessary so that the use of fossil fuels, which adds significantly to the production cost of companies with its harmful effects, such as air emissions and various forms of pollution that impact the environment negatively, can be reduced or eliminated.”

“Already, the state is on the right track to achieve this as the first state in Nigeria to adopt Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to power its public transportation system and also the first to use electric bikes to replace bikes that burn fossil fuel.”

Oresanya also revealed that the state government is encouraging companies domiciled in the state on the benefits of circular economy practices through the transition to cleaner energy. The state government is also partnering with the Oyan Dam on hydropower, which is another form of clean energy to satisfy industrial and domestic needs and sell to other states of the federation.

Also speaking, the delegation lead for the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) National Experts, Mr Oluyomi Banjo, said Ogun State is one of the five states that passed the organisation’s assessment tests on Advancing Nigeria’s Green and Just Transition to Net Zero Through Circular Economic Practices, which confirmed that there are things the state is doing about the circular economy that are right and just.

He said that with the state government’s adoption of the national policy on energy through circular economy, more industries will come to the state, which will lead to industrial and economic growth as well as environmental safety.

Academia, industrialists, energy, and safety experts took turns addressing the UNIDO assessment team on their readiness to advance Nigeria’s Green and Just Transition to Net Zero Through Circular Economic Practices in the state.