Samuel Bello, Abuja
The Federal Government has disclosed deepened effort to reduce anthropogenic activities that contributes in no small measures to alarming deterioration in air quality, particularly in urban cities.
Minister of Environment, Ibrahim Jubril, made this known at a stakeholders’ workshop in collaboration with Centre for Science and Environment India on clean air action planning strategy and implementation in Nigeria held, in Abuja.
The minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Shehu Ahmed, said the purpose of the meeting was to critically examine the issue of clean air action, planning and strategic implementation in Nigerian cities that are gradually becoming polluted with particulate matters with its attendant health effects which reduces human productivity, increase health budget and in some cases, loss of lives.
According to him, “In the aspect of clean fuels, some of our stakeholders in the country and indeed the West African sub-region, have been led to adopt the use of low sulphur fuels.
Similarly, he added that the ministry, through the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has gotten to the advanced stage of implementing the National Vehicular Emission Programme.
“This Meeting would deliberate on clean vehicle technology, fuel quality Programme, general policy on vehicles, the integration of conventional and non-conventional public transport modes and come up with actionable plans and strategies for effective implementation in the country,” Shehu stated.