‘Invest More On Solar Energy’

The International Centre for Energy and Environmental Development (ICEED), has advised the Federal Government to invest more on solar energy in order to boost the campaign against climate change.

The Executive Director of the organisation, Mr. Ewah Eleri who gave the advice in an interview with newsmen also asked the Federal Government to extend the campaigns against climate change to the grassroots.

Eleri stressed the need for Nigeria to cut down its fossil fuel consumption and dependence as part of measures to reduce climate change.

According to him, the methods of reducing greenhouse gases emissions had been adequately encapsulated in the climate change policy adding that it was responsibilities of relevant agencies and line ministries to implement the policy.

He said Nigeria needs to continuously bring down the level of consumption and dependence on fossil fuel, pointing out that by 2030, Nigeria’s clean energy contribution to the overall Nigerian energy mix should be about 30 per cent or 40 per cent and urged the country to shift emphasis from non-environment-friendly electricity energy sources to environment-friendly ones.

Eleri said that although the Federal Government could legislate for the states on issues concerning the environment, states like Lagos, Kaduna, Delta and Cross River were working in tandem with the requirements and dictates of climate change mitigation efforts.

“But everybody cannot be said to be marching at the same pace. The learning curve of the governors is also different, some are deep and some are shallow. So, not all the states are on one page on that issue,’’ he explained and urged the Federal Government to quickly access the Copenhagen fund, the Global Environmental Facility Fund, for climate change reduction.

Eleri also advised Nigerians to bring climate change issues to the front burner of national discourse, adding that if climate change issues were in public domain, it would translate into concrete actions at the grassroots.

“We have not seen any policy on climate change, we know that the government has been working on the policy of climate change, we understand that the minister has forwarded a draft policy to the federal executive council for approval.