Nigeria commits to habitat-friendly environment

The Nigerian government says it remains committed to improving the environment and making it more friendly for habitation.

Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, while celebrating the 2021 ‘World Ozone Day, said her Ministry will intensify awareness creation activities on the importance of Ozone Layer Protection.

She said the Ministry will continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders, to train and monitor technicians on Ozone-friendly technologies.

“In recent years, the Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with UNDP, UNIDO, GIZ, World Bank and UNEP, as the Implementing Agencies, has been implementing the Montreal Protocol’s Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) phase-out programme in Nigeria.”

She noted that in line with the Protocol’s ODS phase-out schedule, the Ministry has converted the technology line of over 700 enterprises in the Foam, Refrigeration and Air conditioning, Aerosols, Fire protection and Solvent-Making industries to Ozone-friendly ones.

This, she said, has facilitated the 100 percent phasing out of over 4000 Metric Tonnes of both the actual Ozone Depleting Substances, and those with high Ozone Depletion Potentials, such as CFCs, Halons, Carbon Tetrachloide and Methyl Bromide.

“In addition, we identified 26 Institutions, Polytechnics and Government Technical Colleges that offer Refrigeration and Air conditioning courses and equipped them to serve as Training Centers on Good RefrigerationPractices.

“We have also trained the Trainers from the identified centers and developed Training Manuals on Good Refrigeration Practices. These have led to the training of more than 10,000 Refrigeration Technicians in the Cooling Sector, ” she explained.

Mrs Ikeazor said the Ministry also completed and commissioned an upgraded System House at Vitapur Nig. Limited, a subsidiary of Vitafoam Nig Limited, for the formulation of Ozone-friendly systems in the manufacture of rigid polyurethane foam in 2020.

“In our efforts to further protect the Ozone Layer and the Climate in accordance with the Montreal Protocol’s provisions of greening the cooling sector, the Ministry, in collaboration with UNDP, has developed a National Cooling Plan, which determines the pathway for reducing indirect and direct emissions of Greenhouse gases through enforcement of the Minimum Energy Performance Standards, MEPS policy for cooling equipment and the phase down of high Global Warming Potential, refrigerants and foam blowing agents, ” the Minister stated.

Sharon Ikeazor added that the National Cooling Plan will soon be launched, as the Ministry prepares to incorporate it into its Nationally Determined Contributions.

Titi B