Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Federal Government has been charged to ensure environmental justice, by ensuring that all oil polluted communities are remediated, and alternative livelihoods provided for the people, before transiting from fossil fuels.
Civil society organisations, Spaces for Change as well as Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, YEAC-Nigeria, which gave the charge, said youths must be given alternative livelihoods, while rural women who bear the brunt of fossil fuels should be involved in the Federal Government’s energy transition action plan.
The civil society groups spoke at the Stakeholders and Community Engagement on Just Energy Transition in Nigeria held at Gio, Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State, organised by Spaces for Change in partnership with YEAC-Nigeria, with funding from Africa Centre for Energy Policy.
Executive Director of YEAC-Nigeria, Mr Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, said the engagement was imperative to sensitise the local communities on government policy on energy transition, since the country has chosen gas as its energy transition fuel, to enable rural people make contributions for inclusion in government policies.
Fyneface explained that there should be space, direct and indirect platforms for debates and engagements on the energy transition models proposed, while also advocating for skills and jobs to be made available for communities
He further advocated for incentivising the local youth to explore legitimate low-income generating opportunities as well as community-based monitoring and evaluation for compliance with contracts and agreements.
He said: “We are here to let the people know that Nigeria is transiting from fossil fuel to renewable energy sources and that gas has been chosen as the energy fuel for the country to go to a cleaner and greener economy.
“We also called on the government to involve people along in the energy transition process for the country. The people are not involved and even women who are most impacted in oil pollution are not included.
“Women are key stakeholders in energy efficiency and environmental sustainability initiatives. They have borne the brunt of environmental and economic damages of the fossil fuel era. They should be involved, included and their voices heard in energy decision-making in the green economy.
“Environmental injustices endured by oil communities must be resolved first before major shifts away from oil are implemented. A clear road map for righting the wrongs of the fossil fuel era in extractive communities must be provided.
“National and corporate-led energy agenda should address the flaws of the fossil fuel economy before transition.
“Involvement of local communities must be prioritized in the green economy. Alternative livelihood schemes should be made available in communities with concentration of artisanal refineries.”
Earlier, Executive Director of Spaces for Change, Barr. Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, represented by Assistant Programme Officer, Jecinta Mbamara, advocated for a clear roadmap for host communities before energy transition.
“The purpose is to phase out from polluted fossil fuel to cleaner energy sources such as solar, wind, gas etc. Therefore, there should be alternative livelihoods for the people since there is a value chain within the fossil fuel economy. As well as training of youths in alternative skills.
“You (community) must demand for a benefit of the oil you have now, because if you don’t benefit from it now, oil will soon become obsolete, just like coal is now obsolete.
“If there is no alternative livelihoods, militancy, sea piracy, armed robbery will return. So, it is important that the kpofire boys be trained and given alternative livelihoods,” she asserted.
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