By Olorundare Enimola
Lagos and Ogun states have increasingly shown their commitment to reducing greenhouse emissions in accordance with the United Nations standard, thereby contributing to reducing its harmful effects on the climate, especially global warming.
The goal of the United Nations is to limit global warming. This goal requires that Nigeria achieve a climate neutral world by the second half of this century. Climate neutrality means living in a way that produces no net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Climate change is affecting every country on every continent. It is disrupting national economies and affecting lives. Weather patterns are changing, sea levels are rising, and weather events are becoming more extreme.
Each country is responsible for establishing a national policy that offers a concrete plan for achieving carbon emission reduction in their country.
Organizations and institutions are also encouraged to frame their own strategic objectives around the SDGs, creating a global task force of cooperation and joint interest.
Researchers have noted that road transport is a major contributor to greenhouse gases and air pollution in developing countries, just as flaring of gas, emanating from oil production, is rife with its huge economic losses and incalculable health hazards.
Global Alliance on Health and Pollution in a report ranks Nigeria third in the world for pollution-related deaths and sixth in premature deaths caused by air pollution.
An international resource watchdog group, Stakeholder Democracy Network, in a report, estimates that 114,000 people die prematurely from air pollution each year in Nigeria.
Many people in Lagos are said to be breathing polluted air leading to avoidable deaths.
Indeed, a recent World Bank report estimated that air pollution caused over 11,200 premature deaths in Lagos, with children accounting for about 60 per cent.
The health cost of air pollution was put at $2.1 billion, which was about 1.3 per cent of Lagos State’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The Lagos State Government as part of its effort to reduce carbon emissions among other steps being taken announced the construction of certain infrastructure to ensure the seamless implementation of the Non-Motorised Transport Plan (NMT).
This was announced during the hosting of the maiden edition of “Car Free Day”, held in September where Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos State, revealed the construction of terminals for bicycle parking has been included to encourage the citizenry to embrace non motorised transportation.
According to him, his administration is making tremendous efforts to make transportation in the state more effective, efficient and sustainable through its several infrastructural, policy, and institutional reforms to curb the looming dangers of climate change.
The Governor, who was represented by Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, the State Commissioner for Transportation, explained that the Car Free Day was an avenue for a city like Lagos to appraise the state of its road network and create an innovative way of making Non-Motorised transportation equitable, effective and sustainable in the State.
He stressed that the decision was important as transportation is the biggest culprit of carbon emissions affecting the environment negatively.
Oladeinde also re-affirmed that bicycle lanes will be created for Cyclists on the road to encourage the use of bicycles which will benefit the public by ensuring pollution-free environments, road safety and improved health for every individual regardless of their age.
The Transport Commissioner further stated that the Ministry of Transportation is working with physical planning to pilot the Non-Motorised Transport Policy and sustain it.
Representing the Managing Director, Lagos State Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Osa Konyeha, revealed that the Agency has concluded the first phase of implementation of the Lagos Sidewalk Pilot Project on Catholic Mission Street/Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) which has enhanced walking access to St. Nicholas Hospital, Kings College, Lagos High Court, Federal Court of Appeal, Tafawa Balewa Square, which is home to a multi-storey office/shopping complex and one of the major Origin-Destination.
He assured that plans were underway to implement a cycling pilot project that will traverse Eti-Osa LG and Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA adding that the Design Review Sub-Committee had conducted site visits and prepared a preliminary design, which will be discussed extensively with all key Stakeholders at the next quarterly meeting.
The Managing Director also affirmed that LAMATA is committed to implementing a network of walking and cycling routes to implement a transport system that improves the lifestyle of the people and improves the economic competitiveness of Lagos.
Also speaking, Yinka Jones, who represented the Lagos Urban Development Initiative (LUDI), maintained that the level of pollution in Lagos is increasing due to motorised activities. He encouraged all the role players to play their part in reducing pollution in the State by embracing Non- Motorised Transportation.
Temitope George, representing Cycology, one of the NGOs that collaborated with the State Government to organize the event added that the essence of “Car Free Day” is to awaken the consciousness of residents to the fact that there are other alternative modes of transportation which is the Non-Motorised means of commuting revealing that her NGO had earlier spear-headed the “share the road” campaign in collaboration with LAMATA.
She explained that the “Share the road” campaign is aimed at sensitizing the motorised road users that the road furniture is for everyone while calling on the State government to continue its inclusive infrastructure that will ensure cyclists, bikers, skaters and other Non-Motorised road users co-habit safely.
Dennis Kange from African Cycling Federation (ACF) averred that the rate of air pollution and road crashes in the State calls for concern. He re-emphasised the need to create more awareness about the social and environmental benefits of the Non-Motorized Transport mode.
Poised to reduce carbon emission in Ogun State, Governor Dapo Abiodun-led administration also says plans are underway to convert vehicles running on petrol to gas.
Experts have lauded this move by the Ogun State government following research findings which shows that over 60% of the total number of vehicles in the country have some of the worst air pollution in the world, with clouds of choking soot hanging over gridlocked cities, leading to a rise in serious health conditions and damaged vehicles.
This is not surprising considering about 13 million of mostly old cars imported from Europe and Japan on the nation’s roads, and hundreds of thousands of inefficient generators used by households and businesses for electricity emitting thick smoke.
Kunle Somorin, the governor’s chief press secretary , Abiodun dropped the hint at an interactive meeting with transport union members, stating, the conversion project christened ‘Ogun Going Green Project’ is necessitated by the hazard posed to the environment by carbon emissions.
He said: “It is no news that Ogun State enjoys the crisscross of gas pipelines coming from Delta and goes to neighbouring countries, which is why we have the proliferation of industries in the state, and we have decided to take advantage of the network of gas pipelines.
“We have the Ogun Going Green Project and that project allows for the reduction of carbon emissions like it is done all over the world.
“We want to start by ensuring that our vehicles utilise other sources of fuel that will reduce the amount of emissions which is the largest contributor to global warming. So, we are starting with our transportation sector.
“We are going to provide them with vehicles and these vehicles and with the one they have now will be converted through a pilot project. We will be using a combination of Gas and fuel, but the fuel will only be used to start the vehicles and after that, the gas takes over”.
He stated further that the first set of kits for the project would arrive in the state in the next three weeks, adding that buses, trucks and taxis, would be the first to benefit from the project, while motorcycles would be converted to electric ones
Abiodun added that apart from reducing consumption and reliance on fuel, the project would reduce the environmental pollution as well as cost of transportation as the cost of gas is almost a quarter of that of fossil fuel.
The governor further disclosed that the state would facilitate new vehicles for the transporters on a part-payment basis, saying the Ministry of Transportation had been directed to work out modalities with the unions on how to go about the plans.
Abiodun, who described the transportation sector as the live wire of any economy, maintained that his administration regarded the union members as important stakeholders in achieving its “Building our Future Together agenda”.
He stressed that transporters are too important to ignore in the scheme of things.” From time to time, we must sit down with people like this and share with them what the administration has done for the avoidance of doubt and to further solicit from them what we want them to do. We want them to ply the roads responsively. We want them to drive safely and be our ambassadors.
“We want to know what their needs are and what we can do to make road transportation safer and more efficient”, he concluded.
The state helmsman emphasised that his administration had embarked on massive infrastructural development across the state, especially good road network in all the three senatorial districts to ease the movement of goods and people.
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