The Raising Awareness Against Net Zero (RANTZ) Nigeria Campaign has started delivering measurable results.
This is as the Executive Chairman of Ojokoro Local Council Development Area (LCDA), in Lagos State, Mr. Hammed Idowu-Tijani (HID) has pledged to install a bottle sorting centre and plastic recycling plant within the next three months.
Hon. Idowu-Tijani made this pledge earlier today during a Net-Zero sensitization workshop with communities coordinated by a coalition of three civil society groups including Centre for 21st Century Issues (C21st), Connected Advocacy (CA) and International Climate Change Development Initiative (ICCDI).
Anchored by Mrs Titi Akosa, Executive Director of Centre for 21st Century Issues, the workshop raised awareness on the impact of climate change on health, people and environment and enjoined participants to have a behavioral change.
The LCDA Chairman, who made reference to a world bank report of 130million additional people to be pushed into poverty by 2030 because of climate change stated that it was imperative that the Local council should collaborate with other organizations to mitigate this challenge for sustainability and prosperity of the council.
Speaking to newsmen, the Council boss disclosed that there were plans already underway to ensure that the council.becomes resilient in flood prevention, agricultural land use and disaster management.
According to him, the passionate calls by his constituents who attended the workshop just shows that they now understood the dangers.
This expression was echoed by the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, represented by Mr Bankole Michael, Director of Climate Change and Environmental Planning.
Interfusing his presentation with the local dialect to ensure complete understanding, Mr Bankole delivered a highly strategic explanation which got all participants fully involved.
With an awareness of the challenges being encountered, Mr Bankole listed three dangers of Climate Change to include Bad Health, Deficient Environment and More expenses.
He however, also listed three benefits of transitioning to net zero to include: Clean Air – Reduction in pollution activities and tree planting; Green Jobs – net zero activities provides high and low skilled jobs that don’t require much training.
The environmentalist also specifically mentioned the need for energy conservation and a transition to renewable energy as one of the key benefits to ensure better sustainable growth.
He also disclosed that the Ministry was in the process of designing a strategy that would enable residents to pick up their required solar energy solutions under comfortable payment terms.
“We can’t wish Climate Change away”, says Mrs Akosa. We need to sensitize the people so they know the impacts of their actions, what they cause and how to change for our collective good.
On measurable impact, Ms Akosa, stated that strategies are already been put in place to ensure that the outcomes of the awareness campaign would be implemented.
There was volciferous interest expressed by participants at the end of the presentations; as remarks by the different community leaders and participants called for an immediate installation not just of one recycling plant but multiple collection points.
