Climate and Sustainable Development Network (CSDevNet), an NGO has called on all relevant stakeholders to collaborate for efficient environmental sustainability in the country.
Dr Ibrahim Choji, the Board Chairman of the organisation, made the call at stakeholders meeting in Abuja on Monday.
According to him, to invest in our planet, Nigeria requires sustainable partnership with other relevant stakeholders.
“Our organisation believes that climate change impacts are about heat increased and scorching temperatures and variable and extreme rain.
“Both have a direct correlation with what becomes of the planet, and its habitats.
“Therefore, investing in renewable clean energy, transportation, food and agriculture innovation, nature based solutions, indigenous communities peace, and more importantly, investing in girls and women as a more sure and noble way of investing in our planet,” he said.
The chairman quoted World Health Organisation as saying that ”over 98,000 Nigerian women die annually from the use of firewood.”
According to him, if a woman cooks breakfast, lunch and dinner, with firewood, it is equivalent to smoking between three and 20 packets of cigarettes a day.
“It is also believed that investing in women and girls education, health and economic opportunities is fundamental to realising the country’s human capital potential and spurring sustainable economic growth,’’ he said.
He also said that it was important to provide women and girls with clean and efficient energy, adding that such would help in preserving their lives.
The chairman said that the support would as well increase opportunity, increase productivity while reducing carbon emissions, thereby helping in addressing environmental challenges in the country.
“For such investment to be effective, indigenous communities or rural women should be the focus, as they constitute a vast majority of the population,’’ he said.
He, however, urged all organisations in private and public sectors as well as all meaningful Nigerians to support tackling environmental challenges for healthy environment and improving the health of Nigerians.
