Environment

World Biodiversity Day: Experts urge FG to leverage on partnerships to promote biodiversity

Published

6 years ago

May 22, 2019

Some environmental experts have called on the Federal Government to leverage on all the available partners to promote the biodiversity.

The experts spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja as Nigeria joins the world to make the 2019 World Biodiversity Day.

Prof. Nasiru Idris, the Dean, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, said that the celebration with the theme: “Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health’’ should be pursued by all.

This year’s celebrations of the International Day for Biological Diversity focuses on biodiversity as the foundation for food and health and a key catalyst to transforming food systems and improving human health.

“To preserve our biodiversity requires unprecedented global cooperation to strengthen and build climate change partnership with governments, NGOs, schools, religious organisations among others.

“Government policies alone cannot do it, the bottleneck in the ministries and agencies slow down the protection of our diversity, hence the need for government’s corporation with all and sundry, especially the private sectors.

“The theme of this year is very vital because it deals with our food because we can’t survive without food, so it aims to leverage knowledge and spread awareness on the dependency of our food systems, nutrition, and health on biodiversity and healthy ecosystems.

According to Idris, “biological diversity boost ecosystem productivity no matter how small species are, therefore, the more you have plant species, the more you get greater variety of crops.

“We need to provide and increase understanding and awareness of biological issues within and beyond our territory for sustainable growth and development as well as betterment of our future.

“Do you know that 40 per cent of the world’s economy and more than 80 per cent need of the rural population are derived from the biological resources?

“These resources are very important to human existence as our medical discoveries, economic development and adaptive responses are dependent on biological diversity as the richer the diversity of life, the greater the opportunity for resource utilisation.’’

Prince Ene Owoh, the National Coordinator, Clean-Up Nigeria, an NGO, said the partnership must lead to strategic framework for development that would stimulate and coordinate public/private sector activities to promote biodiversity.

“Therefore joining other nations in reversing the negative effects of the climate change will put more food on our table and provide quality of the life of the people of the nation.

“It is important that we get to know what climate change effects have on everyone us and how it affects developing countries like Nigeria and the potential effects on temperatures.

“If we don’t fight it and also farm right, the nation will be better off by focusing on social interface to address the menace of climate change.’’

Owoh advised that projects, which would protect the environment and reverse the harmful effect of climate change on the people and the nation should be encouraged.

“The projects should give concrete commitment to protect our environment and reawaken citizenship in addressing the issue of climate change.

“Government should therefore give more prominence to projects on flooding/erosion control in the South and desertification in the North.

“In addition to arrange for reduction of carbon emission projects such as renewal energy and energy efficiency nationwide,’’ Owoh added.

NAN

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Environment

Earthic Energy To Establish Solar Manufacturing Factory In Nigeria

Published

7 months ago

May 26, 2024

The Gleamer

By Uche Onyeali

Indigenous clean energy company, Earthic Energy Limited has disclosed plans to set up a solar energy manufacturing factory in Nigeria.

Chief Executive Officer of the company, Miss Blessing Anulika Achebe gave the hint during the launch of the company in Abuja, at the weekend.

Miss Achebe, who disclosed that she has been in the solar energy business for five years, said though the journey had not been easy, but she and her partners are focused towards achieving the set goals of the company.

According to her, “The journey so far has not been easy, but I have been working with utmost determination, when I make up my mind to do something, I put in my best and God’s grace will always pave way for you with hard work.

“I have worked so hard to get to where I want to be today. I have tried so hard to make all my dreams come true. Like I said earlier, with the mercy of God everything has come to pass.”

On how she could cope with the competition in the sector, Achebe noted that her firm does not admit any factor that could stand as drawback, as a lot of women are already making waves in various sectors of the economy.

“Our determination is unhindered, though we acknowledge such competition as it paves the way for more resilience. Women are now taking over the world.

“I have been into solar for more than five years. Right now I have been pushing so hard and I see how the world is evolving around energy.

“I have made up my mind that said this is what I want to do. I said if I don’t get to where I want to be, there is no going back; I would go above the limit. I want to change lives; I want to make the world a better place. That is why I came up with ‘Earthic Energy Limited’ because the world revolves around the earth. The earth is where we live and that is why my colour is green and sun yellow. So I want to power the whole world.
“Our plan is to set up a solar energy factory in Nigeria where we can manufacture our own products,” she said.

She called for more investors and government at all levels to take advantage of Earthic’s services, which include solar streetlight installation, inverter/grid installation, construction, training/empowerment, as well as contract financing and partnership, supply/credit sales.

Speaking at the occasion, a Professor of Biochemical Pharmacology at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Professor Zaruwa commended Miss Achebe for her vision and bold step into the clean energy sub-sector.
Professor Zaruwa, a former Vice Chancellor of Adamawa State University, Mubi, urged government at all levels, especially governors in the northern part of the country where there is enormous sun, to partner Earthic Energy to improve power supply in the country.

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