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By Joel Anekwe
A coalition of women leaders across the country under the auspices of the Just Energy Transition Coalition has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to personally oversee the process of Nigeria’s transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy.
In a communique issued in Port Harcourt, at a joint meeting Tuesday, organised by Environmental Right Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) the women said the transition was necessary for the survival of the country as an entity and environmental entity.
They urged that the government should align with other developing and developed countries of the world to implement the call for cleaner energy.
The Tuesday meeting was convened by Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria in collaboration with women groups under the auspices of the Just Energy Transition coalition to x-ray Nigeria’s Just Energy Transition framework and impact on women.
Lolo Hail-Sham, leader of the group said that the “transition of the global economic and development system away from fossil fuels is already underway. Across the globe, governments are developing ‘clean growth’ strategies to recover, rebuild and re-energise their economies after the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic and the intensifying impacts of the climate crisis”.
The group called for the support of the Federal Government on the use of renewable energy by supporting the transformation of the energy systems from the local government level and providing tax and financial incentives to enable long term acquisition plans for renewable energy.
According to the women; “We must indeed mend our roof while the sun is still shinning. There can be no communities, no life, and no jobs on a dead planet. The impacts of climate change are real and lasting”.
They stressed that a transition based on justice especially for women will not happen by itself. “It requires clear, transparent, and inclusive plans and policies that will reduce fears and concerns and opposition from those who will be negatively impacted. Women still do not have access to energy for lighting cooking, heating and business.
“The President needs to put in motion the process for policy realignment among the four key development policies- vision 20 20 20, the Economic Growth and Recovery Plan (ERGP), Nigeria’s Economic Sustainability Plan 2020 – a road map to post Covid-19 recovery. These plans need to be reviewed to encourage high, inclusive growth and low carbon emission”.
To encourage a gender just transition, the group further called on government to establish a gender equity quota for the renewable energy sector.
Earlier in his opening speech, Barr Michael Karikpor, programme manager, ERA/FoEN, explained that Just Energy Transition of Nigeria, groups and women leaders across Nigeria, especially from the Niger Delta gathered together in the meeting to fashion a way to increase awareness and advocacy for Nigeria to transit from fossil fuels as the main stay of the economy giving the reality of the current situation where the world itself is moving away from the fossil fuel.
He added that the aim of the meeting was “To build a coalition of people, men and women advocating for Nigeria to start moving towards a more sustainable economy that incorporate everybody, economy that takes the issues of women and gender on board as the world moves away from fossil fuels”.
An environment expert, Dr Sam Kabari, in his presentation, titled ‘The Role of women in Just Energy Transition’, noted that the idea to move to a fair energy that will be favourable to the environment and social life of the people, will reduce the level of carbon emissions in the environment.
To achieve the sustainable just energy transition, Dr Kabari said “There need to be a deliberate plan in the movement from fossil to renewable energy to save the country’s economy” adding that there will be improved health status and clean energy if there is just energy transition.
Giving more reasons for the transition, Dr Kabari stressed that it would tackle the problems of ‘toxic racism, environmental discrimination, environmental justice, socio-economic and environmental impacts of fossil fuels, sustainable development, global warming and climate change’.
He urged the women as a powerful force, to drive the just energy transition struggle to a success, adding that “the earlier we shift from fossil fuels the best for Nigeria”.
