The Federal Government has lauded Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited for its courageous decision to suspend the exportation of cooking gas while approving 100 per cent domestic supply of the product.
Speaking on the development, the Minister of State for Environment, Barr. Sharon Ikeazor, noted that such a bold initiative was a welcomed development and a step in the right direction that will not only bring down the price of the commodity but also bring relief to our forests and the ecosystems.
“The NLNG should be commended for its sensitivity and responsiveness to the plight of Nigerians.
“For us in the environment sector, this singular decision will not only help in restoring our forests and in addressing some of our climate challenges but also facilitate the attainment of our Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and other aspects of the Paris Agreement,” she stated.
Ikeazor recalled that shortly after the increase in the prices of cooking gas in the country, millions of Nigerians could no longer afford the commodity and consequently resorted to firewood and charcoal as alternatives.
“The unhealthy development has been so severe on the forest ecosystem that the reserves and even trees outside the forests were not spared”.
A statement by the ministry’s director of press, Saghir el Mohammed, pointed out that while regretting that cutting the forests for fuelwood and charcoal has been a major cause of deforestation and other climate change challenges, the minister lamented that wood and charcoal smoke contributes to air pollution and other pollutants that produce greenhouse gases.
“We in the environment sector strongly support and believe that by making gas available and affordable, being the cleanest of the fossil fuels, Nigeria is now set towards cutting down on its carbon emissions drastically, thus playing a prominent role during the current energy transition period,” she added.
