The Minister of State for the Environment, Chief Sharon Ikeazor has commended Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited for its “courageous” decision to suspend the export of cooking gas.
Ikeazor described the move as a bold initiative and a welcomed development that will not only bring down the price of the commodity but also bring relief to “our forests and the ecosystems.”
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The Minister who spoke through the Director of the press in the ministry, Saghir El Mohammed, told newsmen that 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 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.”
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.
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