FG seeks collaboration on policies to drive green economy

The Federal Government has called for stronger collaboration between the national and sub-national units in formulating policies to drive a green economy. Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, advised at a side event organised by the Ekiti State Government at the COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The side event was themed: “Planning sub-national: Climate Action in Africa: Ekiti State Report Launch and Panel Discussion.”

Lawal said it was important the states and Federal Government work together to follow the same template in tackling climate change to avoid duplication. He commended the research being embarked on by the state, saying it will give a perfect result in pursuit of the green economy initiative.

The Ekiti State Commissioner of Environment, Mrs Tosin Ajisafe, commended the efforts of Governor Biodun Oyebanji for various programmes aimed at a sustainable state. She said COP29 is an invaluable opportunity to share experiences and form the partnership needed in the state climate agenda.

Also speaking, the Technical Advisor to the Governor on Green Economy and Ecological Matters, Dr Akinyemi Akinyugha, said the report is a summary of findings of the state’s climate action plan. “It highlights the nature of the climate challenges we are facing in Ekiti state. It tells us some of the actions we are taking and the states to address.

“We see climate change as an opportunity to grow our economy and the opportunities that are available within the environmental space. To every economic, social, and environmental challenge lies an opportunity to have a vibrant economic sector in five to three years.

“We want a state that can adapt and stronger resilience whatever comes our way, we’re able to grow and develop and be the model for other states of our size and even bigger than us in Nigeria. We have a few sectors we’re looking at, of course, which ties into Nigeria’s National Determined Contribution (NDC). Over three million kilogramme of CO2 was saved by the IPP and solar street lighting, due to the switch from diesel and petrol-powered generators.

“In the waste sector, we’ve invested a lot in advocacy, in education and also in putting the right infrastructure in place. To ensure that you can add the basics, collect the waste in your communities and prevent nuisance.

“The other sector that is very important to us is the agric sector and we are developing climate-smart agricultural practices to ensure that our people can cope with the effects of climate change. Beyond that, we are scaling into the programme we call the African Sustainable Commodities initiative and this initiative is set up to ensure that we can produce our commodities cocoa, maize, and yam in a very sustainable way that does not destroy them.”