Minister Urges Political Elites to Support Youths for Nation’s Devt

Minister Urges Political Elites to Support Youths for Nation’s Devt

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohammad Abubakar, has called on all political elites in the country to commit towards supporting the Nigerian youths for climate innovation and solutions in order to drawn attention to environmental challenges and reposition the country for development.

Speaking yesterday at the launch of Nigeria’s long-term low emission Vision 2050 and Investment/Financial Flow Assessment Reports, Abubakar said pledges and supports are expected in all forms to optimise the energy and creativity of the Nigerian youths, and make the innovative hub fully functional.

He said Nigeria was committed to Article 6 of the Framework Convention and Article 12 of the Paris Agreement, which seeks to empower citizens to engage in climate actions, through youth engagements, education, training, public awareness, public participation, public access to information and international cooperation.

Abubakar noted that the inter-generational equity is one of the Article 3 principles underpinning the UNFCCC, stressing that in a context of all-inclusiveness, the Nigerian youths have made tremendous input into promoting climate actions, and these efforts must be encourage at all levels. In appreciation of this, and “noting the role of the youths as well as inter-generational principle in climate actions, Regional Youth Innovation Workshops on Climate Action with the theme: ‘Unlock Youth Innovativeness in Nigeria’s Climate Action’ were organised across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

“Furthermore, through the NDC Partnership Climate Action Enhancement Package, the 2050 pathways supported the ministry to develop its first Nigeria long-term vision 2050 as an initial and first useful step towards designing Long Term-Low Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS). The process provides Nigeria the forum to discuss the opportunities and challenges that might arise in terms of a cleaner, more dynamic, and more sustainable growth model, and the options for the country to implement a less carbon-intensive model of economic development in the face of decreasing global reliance on fossil fuel energy for development practices.

“It is hoped that this vision will promote sustainable development and guarantee a climate proofed economy through multi-stakeholders’ engagement across multiple sectors that include the bio-economy, blue, green and food economies that also align with critically important SGDs such as poverty eradication, access to affordable energy and zero hunger.”

In her remark, the Minister of State for Environment, Chief Sharon Ikeazor, said as the country moves toward long-term low emission vision 2050, some of the actions expected to be invested in include: “Ending gas flaring by capturing and commercialising flared gas by 2030; switching the use of power generators running on premium motor spirit and automotive gas oil towards Liquefied Petroleum Gas/Compressed Natural Gas; increasing renewable energy generation up to 13GW for grid, mini-grid and off grid connections by 2030; expanding gas pipelines and increasing gas pipeline infrastructure accompanied with fugitive methane leaks management, among others.”

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