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Minister of State for the Environment, Chief Sharon Ikeazor has hailed the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited for its decision to suspend the export of cooking gas while approving 100 per cent domestic supply of the product.
Saghir el Mohammed, the Ministry’s Director Press, conveyed the Minister’s position in a statement.
She 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.
She stated:“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 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.
She said the unhealthy development has been so severe on the forest ecosystem that the reserves and even trees outside the forests were not spared.
Regretting that cutting the forests for fuel wood and charcoal has been a major cause of deforestation and other climate change challenges, the Minister disclosed that wood and charcoal smokes contribute 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 play a prominent role during the current energy transition period”, she added.
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