The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Otunba Niyi Adebayo has said that the policy measure of the Green Economy will provide better income opportunities, reduce poverty and create more jobs.
The Minister said this in Owerri Wednesday during the flagging off of tree planting initiative and launching of the Hope Green Revolution in collaboration with the development partners Nuneric Development LTD and Summit Innovative and Synergy LTD.
The Minister represented at the event by John Opaluwa said that such initiative would also enhance energy supply and security and reduces countries exposure to volatilities in the global fossil fuel market.
He said that such measures are aimed at pursuing an alternative and sustainable part to industrialization that takes advantage of innovations, technology and business models for improved energy efficiency in the industrial sectors.
He said: “it will create and adopt green technology in the industry and support low carbon emission manufacturing systems.”
According to the Minister, a Green economy will lead to the decarburization of the Nigerian economy and help the country achieve the next zero target for 2050 to 2070 as enshrined in the climate Act 2021.
While flagging off the Green Revolutions, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State directed the Sole Administrators (SOLADS) in the 27 local government areas of Imo State to plant no fewer than 10,000 trees in their locality within six months of the launching of Hope Green Revolution initiative.
Uzodimma said tree planting has shown to be an age-long method of dealing with the ravaging natural disaster like flood.
While urging everyone to consider tree planting and other measures to check environmental abuse as panacea to solving the threatening climate change, the governor directed the SOLADS to take the lead in planting a least 10000 trees within their domain just as the commissioners for agriculture and environment will work out the modalities on how to fully implement the other protocols that would make the Hope Green Revolution initiative a huge success in Imo State.
He said: “I have been informed that through the launching of the ‘Hope Green Revolution’, which is the first of its kind in sub – Saharan Africa, we shall reap the benefits economically, ecologically and socially. I sincerely look forward to these benefits, which will include, safer and healthier environment, job creation and opportunities for increased internal revenue generation.
He said: “As our own modest contribution to the realization of this lofty idea, I hereby direct the Chairmen of the 27 Local Government Areas in the state to plant a minimum of ten thousand trees in their domain within the next six months. The Honourable Commissioners for Agriculture and Environment should collaborate to come up with the best strategies that will help Imo State drive the ‘Hope Green Revolution’ to a fruitful end.”
Governor Uzodimma said that the event is taking place at a time when Nigeria has just experienced the worst type of flooding in recent history adding that many Nigerians lost their lives and property, while many more were displaced from their homes.
He said: ” As we speak, many Nigerians are yet to return to their homes, and we are all praying for the rains to abate and for the floods to recede”.
The Governor said that though Nigeria is a party to the Global Green Transmission Agenda, adding that Imo State is the first sub-national to go green in Africa.
He said that the event signifies a major milestone and another first for our dear state adding that it should not come as a surprise to anyone, considering that Imo State under my watch is blazing the trail in many fronts.
He said: “Be that as it may, we all know that climate change is responsible for the incessant rains, the attendant floods and other devastating extreme weather events reported across the world n recent times. We also know that a variety of human activities, which result in the excessive release of greenhouse gases, are responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer, the resultant global warming and other features of extreme weather, such as flooding”
He described it as an innovative idea aimed at helping to mitigate the damage done to our environment by the indiscriminate activities of man.
The Governor reiterated the benefits from tree planting and from all other protocols on environmental discipline, noting that Imo State will be better off with it on the long run.
He assured that Imo State under his watch will do all it can to make this exercise succeed.
In his remarks the MD/CEO Numerix Nigeria Limited Engr. Babatunde Aina said that the Green Revolution, when achieved, will reduce carbon dioxide emission in Imo State.
He said: “The Hope Green Revolution legacy orchard is making Imo State the first Green smart sustainable sub-national State in Africa. The Greening programme will bring about tree planting and nurturing where numerix will provide seedlings for everyone to plant their own economic trees starting with His Excellency, Governor Hope Uzodimma”.
According to him the Hope Revolution will bring about the establishment of first ever Green Business Roundabout in Imo State as well as harness all sources of renewable energy in Imo State.
The partners disclosed that Imo State can reap at least $10 billion in foreign direct investment if she can key into the Global Green Transmission Agenda, otherwise called Green Transition and Sustainable Economic Growth in Africa.
A yearly $100 billion is said to have been allocated to developing countries for environment-related projects but Africa as a whole is not able to assess up to 4% of the funds meant for projects ranging from power to transportation to infrastructure among others.
The launching attracted representatives from the federal ministry of industry, trade and investment; federal ministry of health; federal ministry of environment and the United States Ambassador to Nigeria.
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