Women from several communities in the Niger Delta have called for increased advocacy to end gas flaring and other forms of environmental abuses in the region.
This was part of a resolution at the end of a two-day Women and Energy Assembly in Port Harcourt.
The women also stressed the need for the Nigerian government to pursue a fast global change over from fossil fuel as main energy source to renewable energy sources.
The Assembly also called for opportunities for women to own, produce and control energy production.
According to the resolution, the Assembly observed that energy is critical to life and is the driver of the life of women and girls as burden bearers of society carrying out unpaid services.
“That the search for biomas fuel from trees, saw dust, dung, manure and fetching water for housekeeping creates hard work for women and girls, especially from poor rural and urban families.
“That though there are many alternative and cleaner energy sources, being adopted by developed and developing countries, the politics of oil has prevented the Nigerian government from pursuing alternative cleaner and affordable energy sources”.
The women also observed that their continuous reliance on the forest for energy is dangerous to the environment as most of these forests may soon cease to exist.
They also stressed the need for the inclusion of the womenfolk in all levels of renewable energy sector, programmes, while energy producers should take responsibility for the outside cost of energy production like health, and time cost in care giving for sick family members.
“That knowledge of community women on production of clean stoves and other renewable energy products should be acknowledged and supported.
In her paper entitled, “Energy, Development and Climate Change”, Dr. Bolaji Babatunde warned against further flaring of gas in the country.
Dr. Babatunde who is an associate Professor at the University of Port Harcourt said that, climate change could lead to the submergence of Port Harcourt City and the rest of the Niger Delta by 2030.
On her part, Dr. Huoma Worlu who spoke on Energy Crisis and Women, said that women play very important roles in the collection, consumption of energy in their homes, but regretted that industrialisation and colonialism has pushed the women behind, making them end users who bear the cost, while energy production in the country now rest squarely on the expatriates.
She noted that the resultant industrialisation in the guise of oil and gas exploration has destroyed trees in the environment and impoverished the women.
“There is palpable crisis in the energy sector and the worst hit are the women,” she said.