In ensuring a better environment for all, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), held the 22nd Chief S.L. Edu Memorial Lecture on carbon credit while calling on companies and governments to adopt sustainable practices to reduce carbon emissions in the country.

The NCF National Executive Council Chairman, Hon. Justice (Mrs.) Bukola Adebiyi, while giving her welcome address, said that there were numerous environmental issues which needed urgent attention.

According to her, “it is important that we pause and reflect on how we can individually and collectively commit to and make a positive impact and difference to these numerous and interrelated environmental issues. We all can by making responsible choices, adopting sustainable practices; such as reducing our carbon footprint protecting natural habitats, phasing out the use of single use plastics.

“All these sustainable practices can be made towards safeguarding the earth for future generations,” she said. Adebiyi who said that environmental problems were numerous and serious, added that it required urgent attention. She said that forest cover in Nigeria had reduced from 1O to six percent within the last three decades.” She added.

“Species loss remains on the increase as they lose their natural habitat, loss of biodiversity, Greenhouse Gas emissions, which leads to the trapping of heat and leads to global warming. Others are climate change, which causes rising sea levels, extreme weather events, land degradation, freshwater shortage and food insecurity.” she added.

“Other human activities that affect the environment are industrialization, air Pollution, water contamination and pollution, improper waste management, urbanization to mention a few,” she concluded.

The Guest Lecturer, Mr Kevin Juma, Africa Climate Director, The Nature Conservancy, Nairobi, Kenya, said that Carbon credit is a certificate given for helping in reducing or avoiding emission.

“It is one time certificate that represents emission reduction and avoidance tradable in a marketplace known as the carbon market. The opportunities are massive, there is untapped natural resources in this continent. 20% of the world forest are formed in Africa. We have savannah land that is carrying most of our resources which has reduced due to urbanization.”
“By compensating or encouraging those who participate in carbon credit, we have the chance to make our fertile land more productive,” he said.

He added that there was a lot of opportunities in Africa. “The market is untapped and there is a lot of opportunities. Remember Africans don’t rarely participate in a program like this and there is a need for voluntary participants.
“They need to be aware of the opportunities in order to tap into the global market, however, we need to develop high quality project to achieve untapped opportunities,” he said.

When asked how Nigeria can reduce carbon emission, Juma said that at first, a national evaluation and an examination of the threat level was required.
“Additionally, NGOs can be very helpful in this issue by helping to restore our natural areas and grasslands while also helping to conserve them.

While delivering his lecture, Juma also said that the world must reach net zero by 2050 or earlier to keep global warming not more than 1.5C as called for in the Paris Agreement.

“Emissions need to be reduced by 45 percent by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050,” he said.

The NCF Director General, Dr Joseph Onoja, while speaking with journalists on reduction of carbon emission, he said that Nigeria had what we called the nationally determine contribution which was a voluntary decision.

“A decision by every country that signed on to the Paris agreement and one of the way Nigeria has signed up to reduce those emissions is to look at different sectors. The sector in terms of transportation, manufacturing and as well as agricultural sector.”

“In fact, when you look at the agricultural sector, instead of cutting down trees to plant, there is what we call agro forestry where you must do it together. In terms of the transportation sector, you will look at the introduction of the CNG buses instead of continuously using fossil fuel buses,” he added.

He said that these were ways Nigeria could easily cut down emissions.
“One of the major ways we citizens can perform our responsibilities is to plant trees. Apart from planting trees, we need to nurture these trees and the ones that are standing we need to stop cutting them down because it is very important and that lies in our hands,” he said.

Present at the memorial lecture were top brass in the environmental space.
NCF pursues the conservation of nature and its resources with the aim of improving the quality of human life both in the present and the future. The organization core values include reliability, accountability, excellence, environmental responsiveness and commitment to conservation.

The organization is under the legal ownership of a Board of Trustees under the able leadership of President Izioma Phillip Asiodu CFR, CON who along with other Trustees have managed the organization’s assets and carried out its purposes for the past 40years.

The Organization is governed by a Board, the National Executive Council (NEC) made up of captains of Industry, accomplished and committed men and women recently headed by my humble self who provide strategic direction to help the organization achieve its purpose.

The day-to-day management is under the leadership of the Director General; Mr. Joseph Onoja. Ph.D who leads a formidable management of team and staff.
The lecture with the theme “Carbon Credit: Opportunities and Pitfalls” was organised by NCF in partnership with the family of late Chief S.L. Edu, and was sponsored by Chevron Nigeria Ltd. The event was well attended by Vice Chancellors of universities, government officials and others.