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Author: Felicia Imohimi

  • World environment day:FG inaugurates climate justice ambassadors

    World environment day:FG inaugurates climate justice ambassadors
    Inauguration
    By Felicia Imohimi
    Abuja, June 5,2024 (NAN)The Federal Government has inaugurated Climate Justice Youth Ambassadors (CJYA) as part of activities to commemorate the World Environment day.
    CJYA is an initiative of  Oxfam Nigeria geared towards promotion of sustainable environment.
    The Minister of Environment, Mr Balarabe Lawal while  inaugurating the ambassadors on Wednesday in Abuja,  lauded Oxfam for mobilising youth to be vanguard of  environmental protection.
    He said that the  constitution of the  ambassadors was a great progress in the nation’s efforts to ensure environmental sustainability.
    Lawal said that environmental protection was not the responsibility of the Federal Government and States alone,  but for all and sundry.
    “We need to continue to propagate the issue of climate justice from big cities like Kano, Lagos Port Harcourt among others who are major polluters of the environment.
    “We in the ministry are on it and we need to fight for climate justice at all levels.
    “l assured Oxfam that the ministry will continue to support and provide all that is required to achieve climate justice across board to ensure sustainable environment for our future generations,”he said
    Kenneth Akpan, Climate Justice Project Coordinator, Oxfam Nigeria said the organisation through the African Activist for Climate Justice (AACI) Project, has deepened its engagements towards ending poverty.
    Akpan said the vulnerable populace includes  women, youths and persons with disability in the face of climate reality and injustice.
    He said the climate justice  ambassadors was borne out of the AACI project to tap into the strength,  and capacity of  youths as solution bearers to the country’s climate challenges.
    According to him, it is also to support the government as foot soldiers to deepen and carry out governments drive to solve the global climate crises at the grassroot, local, states, national among others.
    “The mission is to see how Nigerian youths can become global leaders and reference point to the global climate crisis starting from home.
    “We have encouraged them to take charge as climate activists,  leaders of tomorrow in climate space.
    “Among these ambassadors are youth that are converting plastic into interlocking tiles,  youth that are taking care of Jabi Lake by removing water hyacinth and recycling it and others.
    ” They have come up with climate gain that children can play and improve their knowledge on climate action, “he said.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that World Environment Day is commemorated annually on June 5 with the theme ” Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resilience”.
    Event to mark the day was a quiz competition by Government Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) Wuse, Maitama and Jabi.
    JSS Jabi emerged winner, JSS Wuse came second while Maitama came third. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
    FUA/JPE
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    Edited by Joseph Edeh

  • Nigeria, Indonesia to explore export driven strategies on oil palm

    Oil

    By Felicia Imohimi

    Abuja, June 4, 2024(NAN)The Federal Government says it will collaborate with the Indonesian Government in exploring export driven strategies to enhance economic growth and development in oil palm.

    Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi, Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, gave the assurance in a meeting with the Pahala Mansury, Vice President, Foreign Affairs, Indonesia, on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Abubakar identified palm oil as having huge potentials of export.

    “The growth strategy of Nigeria recognises that as much as we will be talking about import substitution, the best solution is for us to have export driven strategies.

    “We can accommodate investors so that we can take the oil palm to the next level of economic growth and development.

    “l believe giving what you have done by lifting 16million farmers out of poverty and with the existing oil palm in Nigeria we can achieve that and we can do it.

    “Considering Nigeria ecosystem, we have more numbers to take out of poverty; we are developing a nucleus to make it possible; hence we are going to work to see how to turn it around, “he said.

    Earlier,  Mansury said the visit was for both countries to see how they could be able to develop a much better economic cooperation particularly in area of agriculture.

    Mansury identified Nigeria as Indonesia’s most significant economic partner in sub-Sahara Africa in terms of trade, investment and economic cooperation.

    He said that through palm oil production, Indonesia was able to lift over 16million of smallholder farmers out of poverty.

    “Right now, Indonesia is the largest producer of palm oil producing approximately 50million metric tons.

    “Domestically we are using about 10million metric tons to 12 million metric tons while we are exporting the remaining 38 million metric tons.’’

    He said that Indonesia was actually one of the largest exporter of edible palm to Nigeria, pharmaceutical among others while Nigeria was the biggest exporter of fertiliser and others to Indonesia.

    “We hope to discuss further on how we are going to develop a better cooperation in agriculture for food security for both Indonesia and Nigeria, provision of grant and capacity building.”

    He identified other areas both countries could further enhance their cooperation as energy security.

    According to him, both countries have started economic cooperation already within the health sector particularly in the area of livestock vaccines.

    Mansury said the meeting was also to seek the participation of Nigerians farmers in the second Indonesia and Africa forum scheduled for September and membership of Nigeria in Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC).

    “Through the forum will develop a much stronger economic cooperation between Indonesia and Africa, facilitate meetings of both countries, private sector and encourage private sector investment in Nigeria in research cooperation among others,” he said.

    Alhaji Ahmadu Aliyu,  Andoma of Doma, Nasarawa State, said the National Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN) had been distributing palm produce seedlings to households in some states of the federation.

    According to him, the initiative has helped in improving their income and livelihood.

    Aliyu, who is also a NPPAN member, said the initiative would help to boost the economy of every family as Nigeria would join Indonesia and Malaysia being the leading palm oil producing countries in the world. (www.nannews.ng)

    FUA/CJ/

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    Edited by Chijioke Okoronkwo