From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
As part of efforts to protect the environment, the federal government plans to introduce electric vehicles for public transportation in Nigeria.
Speaking at the ongoing 16th National Council on Environment, in Abuja, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, said that this is the long-term strategy of the government.
“Our long-term strategy is the use of electric vehicles for public transportation while we continue to sensitise residents on the need to protect the environment” he stated.
He used the occasion to announce the reopening of the Millennium Park which he described as a model of ‘our vision for an environmentally-friendly FCT’
In his remarks, Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, noted that the depletion of forests is at an annual rate of 0.72 per cent to 2.38 per cent and the forest sector’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Nigeria mainly stem from deforestation and forest degradation from land use.
“Human activities and naturally occurring emergencies have exacerbated the impact of this global phenomenon in recent years. We are appalled by the various scientific reports which have called for urgent remedial actions. The impact of global warming occasioned by deforestation, desertification, biodiversity loss, climate change, COVID-19 pandemic and other environmental and social factors have left their negative tolls on both the terrestrial and aquatic systems, with dire consequences on our planet and humans.
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“We are persuaded by the reality of the imperatives to pursue a low carbon emission trajectory as an indispensable option to preserve the health of the planet as we journey to net zero emission.
“Nigeria’s forest ecosystems exist within a context in which the ripple effects of population and economic growth in the country drive the rapid and massive depletion of forests at an annual rate that is estimated to be in the range of 0.72 per cent to 2.38 per cent.
“The forest sector’s GHG emissions in Nigeria mainly stem from deforestation and forest degradation from land use conversion and the key drivers are small scale and commercial agricultural expansion, heavy reliance on wood fuel particularly firewood and charcoal, unsustainable timber extraction, urban expansion, grazing, bush burning, large infrastructure development and mining,” he said.
Earlier, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) representative in Nigeria, Abubakar Suleiman, disclosed that current Nigeria’s Central Provident Fund (CPF) would expire this year. So, he called on civil society organisations and the private sector to formulate a new CPF to last from 2023 to 2027.
“Nigeria’s CPF, which guides FAO support to the Government of Nigeria and other stakeholders, will be coming to an end this year, and as usual from now through December 2022, FAO would be expanding its reach to include feedback and views from relevant government ministries, departments and agencies, as well as civil society organisations, development partners, the academic community and the private sector for the formulation of new CPF for Nigeria for 2023-2027,” he said.
