Zeniat Abubakar
Stakeholders in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, joined forces in a summit, to advocate for the reduction of carbon emissions and to promote a more sustainable future.
They emphasised collective action toward cutting carbon emissions on World Decarbonisation Day, with the theme “Accelerating Decarbonisation for a Climate Secure Future,” which brought together leaders from government, business, and advocacy groups.
The Mandate Secretary for Health and Environment Services in the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe highlighted the severe health risks posed by carbon pollution, including respiratory diseases and rising cancer rates among younger populations.
She warned that excessive carbon in the atmosphere is hazardous to human health.
“We have decided to come up with a World Decarbonisation Day as a day where we remind people of the effects of carbon in the air.
“Extreme temperatures, even death, bronchiolitis, asthma, different lung diseases are caused by carbon in the air,” she said.
“Younger people are having more cancer now because they are breathing in all sorts of things.
“So when we say decarbonisation, we want to start reducing the amount of carbon we put into the air and the sources of carbon are exhaust from car fuels, generators, fossil fuels and dump sites,” she added.
Emphasizing the need to reduce carbon emissions, Dr. Fasawe noted the importance of fossil fuels in maintaining ecosystem balance but expressed optimism about a future powered primarily by renewable energy sources such as solar power.
“If there is too much of it and we are not taking it, the ecosystem will be destroyed. However, I foresee a future where our first line of choice will be renewable energy.
“Those things we call inverters, solar power, solar batteries, covering a whole hospital, covering a whole village, covering a whole district. That day is possible, and it will come,” Fasawe said.
Decarbonization
The National President of Women in Oil and Gas, Dr. Oladunni Owo highlighted that decarbonization is not just a technology shift but a power shift, stressing that climate justice is not charity but geopolitics.
“Africa must stop exporting raw resources and importing finished dreams.
“If we want a just transition, we must stop thinking of women and Africa as “beneficiaries” of climate action. We are authors of the transition. We are investors, innovators, and architects of the new energy economy.
“We are not just gathering to repeat what has been said elsewhere. We are here to set a new tone,” she explained.
Dr. Owo also championed the role of women in leading the transformation, noting that they are already on the front lines of every crisis and should not have to wait for permission to lead.
“And why do we assume women must wait for permission to lead this transformation when history shows that in every crisis, women are already on the front lines, feeding families,” Owo said.
Chairperson for World Decarbonization Day 2025, Mrs Toyin Yusuf explained that the annual summit’s goal is to raise awareness about decarbonization and encourage young Nigerians to develop new technologies and innovations in this area.
She underscored the importance of all individuals, organizations, and governments taking responsibility on their part to reduce carbon emissions.
Deputy Chairman House Committee on Environment, Mr.Teseer Ugbor reaffirmed the commitment of lawmakers to end gas flaring by supporting stricter penalties and ensuring affected communities receive adequate compensation.
“As a member of the House of Reps and our committee, we visited several of the gas flaring sites and met with a lot of the oil industry players to discuss the timeframes and the timelines for ending gas flaring.
“And there’s actually a bill on the floor of the House which has gone through second reading to penalise and punish gas flaring and companies that are still flaring gas in the country,” he added.
“We’re trying to ensure that there are stiffer penalties for gas flaring and communities that are most affected by this gas flaring get proper compensation for the effects, health and environmental effects of gas flaring in their communities.
“And I think once this bill is passed, it will go a long way in reducing the incentive for gas flaring and get the oil industry players to invest more into capturing this gas and using it for productive uses,” Ugbor assured them.
He also acknowledged the vital role of women in the clean energy transition.
The summit served as a call to action for individuals, organizations, and governments to take responsibility and lead Nigeria and Africa towards a cleaner, sustainable energy future.