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Nigeria must address poverty and ignorance to tackle environmental degradation – Don
Prof. Imo Ekpoh, Dean Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Calabar on Wednesday disclosed that Nigeria cannot solve its environmental challenges without solving the challenges of poverty and ignorance.
Ekpoh said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar.
The prof. of climatology noted that as a nation we needed to carryout measures that would ensure that rural dwellers lived sustainably with the forests and not destroy them.
“Telling people who have been logging or burning bushes as a profession they learnt from their fathers to stop logging and burning bushes at the beginning of the farming season because you want to check greenhouse gases emission won’t work.
“This is because they will not understand, unless they are educated and given an alternative means of livelihood.
“Today, many of our rural communities take bush burning as a way of life and when village A, B, and C continue to burn the forests, it becomes a major challenge contributing to global warming, he maintained.
Ekpoh stated that the major factor that was enhancing global warming was the amount of greenhouse gases such as carbon-(iv)-oxide, methane, nitrous-oxide and chlorofluorocarbons released daily into the atmosphere.
He said that preindustrial level of atmospheric carbon-(iv)-oxide was in the region of 280 parts per million but at present, it was over 400 parts per million.
He added that if not for the efforts of some communities like Cross River in planting trees, it would have risen to 500 parts per million.
“Planting of trees is important because it helps in the absorption of carbon-(iv)oxide which escapes into the atmosphere from different sources and enhancing global warming.
“Global warming brings with it surprises because earth’s atmosphere becomes unstable, making it difficult for scientists to predict.
“This is why you see massive flooding in China, storms in America and bush fires at the same time, some other countries are witnessing draught and even Nigeria is not left out with the effects of desert encroachment and other disasters.
“As a nation we need to start enforcing the use of catalytic converters in our vehicles and factories and also provide an alternative and safe means of survival for our people, if we must save our environment,” he asserted.(NAN)
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has reported its seventh partial grid collapse in 2024. Despite the recurring issue, TCN’s General Manager of Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, reassured the public that efforts to restore power are well underway, with about 90% of substations receiving bulk power.
Mbah noted that the Azura Power Station initiated the grid recovery, although a minor setback occurred. However, power supply has been restored to the Abuja region and other key distribution centers. The Ibom Gas Generating Station remained unaffected, continuing to supply power to the South-South region.
An investigation into the cause of the collapse will commence once full grid restoration is achieved.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic tanker explosion in Jigawa State, which claimed over 100 lives. In a statement issued by his media aide, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima, on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, extended condolences to the affected families, praying for strength and comfort in their time of grief.
Shettima assured the public that the federal government is mobilizing resources to support the injured and assist those affected. He has directed the immediate deployment of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide aid. The Vice President also stressed the need for a review of fuel transportation safety protocols to prevent future incidents.
In a separate statement, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu offered her condolences to Jigawa Governor Umar Namadi and the people of Jigawa, praying for peace and comfort for the families affected. She called the incident “unfortunate” and extended prayers for the recovery of the injured and the repose of the souls lost in the tragedy.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has revealed that it intercepted a total of 10,598 pieces of arms and 114,929 rounds of ammunition valued at N9.58 billion over the past six years. Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, made this disclosure during a press conference on enforcement activities in Zone A.
Adeniyi highlighted that 60% of these seizures occurred in 2023, reflecting the Customs’ increased efforts to curb arms smuggling. He also mentioned that recent operations such as Operation Whirlwind and Operation Swift Sting are part of a strategic response to tackle evolving smuggling tactics.
In addition to arms seizures, the Customs CG announced the largest pangolin scale seizure since 2020, with 9,493 kg of scales confiscated in collaboration with the Wildlife Justice Commission. The joint operation led to four arrests across Kano, Kaduna, and Lagos. The NCS continues to intensify efforts against wildlife trafficking, targeting supply routes in northern Nigeria and border areas.
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