Environment
NGO Tasks FG On Climate Change
A Non-Governmental Organisation, Centre for 21st Century Issues, has advised the Federal Government to provide a conducive atmosphere for NGOs to actively participate in combating climate change.
The Executive Director of the NGO,Mrs Titilope Akosa, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Lagos recently.
According to her, there is need for environmental stakeholders to collaborate toward mitigating the effects of climate change.
“We, at the Centre for 21st Century Issues, are involved in producing bio-gas from fruit wastes into solar electrification and distribution of wonder bags for cooking.
“Through these projects, we have been able to empower people by providing them with cost efficient energy,’’ she said.
The wonder bag is a standalone and non-electric insulated bag designed to reduce the amount of fuel required in the cooking of food.
Instead of being placed on a stove for the duration of the cooking period, food is instead heated to a required hot temperature and then transferred to the wonder bag.
The wonder bag uses the principle of thermal insulation to continue cooking, keeping the food warm without additional fire.
Akosa said that the NGO in conjunction with the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has also produced a bio-gas plant at Ikosi Market, Ketu.
She explained that fruit wastes could be used to power the plant, producing between 4,000 cubic metres and 5,000 cubic metres renewable natural gas per day.
Akosa further said that the NGO’s solar electrification project was aimed at removing energy poverty in communities.
She said that the project had been helping artisans and those charging cell phones in commercial quantity.
The director explained that the NGO was also involved in the distribution of the wonder bags to women.
She said that the idea was to empower women and discourage them from cooking with firewood which releases carbon monoxide into the atmosphere.
The director said that preserving woods in forests was vital in ensuring absorption of emissions from the atmosphere.
She said NGOs face the challenges of sustaining their various renewable energy projects due to lack of conducive atmosphere that would make their work thrive.
President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mrs Margaret Oguntala, has inaugurated the construction of 18 units residential terrace in highbrow Alausa area of Lagos toward bridging the nation’s shelter gap.
Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has launched the 1GOV Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) to enhance digital governance and improve service delivery.
The launch, held on Thursday in Abuja, marks the ministry’s transition from paper-based operations to a smart, integrated and technology-driven work environment.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said the deployment aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Utsev said the system would improve data management, streamline workflows and strengthen transparency and accountability across the ministry.
According to him, the ECMS will enhance productivity, preserve institutional memory and reduce operational costs in the ministry.
Launching the platform, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, said the initiative is a major step in public sector reform.
She said the ministry’s mandate affects Nigerians through water supply, sanitation, irrigation, river basin development and climate resilience programmes.
Walson-Jack said the 1GOV ECMS enables secure digital records management, automated workflows, electronic approvals and real-time collaboration across MDAs.
She added that the deployment aligns with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 and the directive for full digitalisation by December 2025.
“Effective governance cannot afford delays caused by manual bottlenecks or avoidable inefficiencies,” she said.
She directed that all official correspondence in the ministry must henceforth be processed through approved digital registry channels.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Emanso Umobong, said the system would eliminate workflow inefficiencies and improve service delivery.
She urged staff to fully adopt the platform and engage in continuous capacity building.
