Group urges AKSG to petition FG, IOCs for environmental audit, cleanup in host communities
The Media Advocacy Group on Energy Transition (MAGET) has urged the Akwa Ibom State Government to request a comprehensive environmental audit, remediation, clean up and restoration of host communities from the Federal Government of Nigeria and International Oil Companies (IOCs), ahead of the 2060 energy transition deadline.
The group also recommended a thorough examination of decommissioning and abandonment plans for stranded oil assets within Akwa Ibom State.
These calls were made during a capacity development workshop for journalists, with the theme, “Energy Transition: Setting Agenda for Clean Economy at Sub-National Level.” The workshop, organized by the Natural Resource Governance Institute and BudgIT, was facilitated by The Dune Newspaper.
In the communique, the group among other things, called on the Akwa Ibom State Government to: “Domesticate the National Energy Transition Plan and strive to achieve SDGs 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and 13 (Climate Action).
“Reduce fossil fuel-based power projects; invest in research and home-grown innovations on clean energy, training and capacity building for youth and women on large-scale renewable energy (solar, hydro and wind) projects, and environmental management; prioritising investments in sustainable agriculture, maritime and solid minerals.
“Seek partnership with donor agencies, renewable energy manufacturers, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to train youths and women, invest and fund clean energy projects”.
The group also urged the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to impose fines for gas flaring, and encouraged the Management of Host Communities Development Trusts to invest in green and renewable energy projects.
It encouraged journalists to highlight research findings on local solutions for improving access to clean energy, supporting state government initiatives to boost non-oil sector revenue.
Earlier in his goodwill message, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information, Comrade Ini Ememobong, praised the workshop’s timeliness, noting that it provided stakeholders the opportunity to ask pertinent questions and seek solutions for the planned energy transition.
In his remark, the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Akwa Ibom State Council, Comrade Amos Etuk called for editorial policies addressing renewable energy and climate change issues at state and national levels.
Mr. Mfon Gabriel, Executive Director of the Well of Science Foundation, in his paper presentation, highlighted the risks of lagging in the ongoing Energy Transition Plans (ETP).
Gabriel advised states to embrace the nation’s ETP, rather than depend on the dwindling fossil fuel sector.
Comrade Abasifreke Effiong of the Dune Newspaper, the workshop’s facilitatore, emphasized the need to bridge the knowledge gap on energy transition issues, as global discussions intensify towards the 2050 target.
Effiong thanked NRGI and BudgIT for their support in educating journalists in Akwa Ibom, and stressed the importance of preparing the state government for the economic and social disruptions and cost implications of the proposed energy transition.
The workshop, attended by 30 journalists from various media organizations, also received support from Tengi George-Ikoli, a Senior Officer and Focal Person for the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI).
• Photos of the programme
