By Onyinyechi Chukwu
Port Harcourt,June,8,2024
In a one-day capacity building workshop in Port Harcourt, the Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, has encouraged residents of Rivers State to embrace Renewable Energy.
The workshop held in Golden Tulip on Friday, June, 7, was part of HOMEF’s efforts to promote environmental/climate justice and food sovereignty in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, HOMEF Programme Manager, Mr. Stephen Oduware, explained that the workshop was aimed at increasing the awareness on the issues of climate injustice, emphasis the need for community engagement, sensitize the people on the needed transition from fossil fuel to Renewable Energy.
Oduware added that it was also to enlighten government agencies on how to mainstream community concerns into government project, educate communities on ways to prevent the challenges faced in the oil and gas civilization in the Renewable Energy era.
He said “we are here in Port Harcourt to have this capacity building workshop, Renewable Energy with different stakeholders; we have people from the Rivers State Ministry of Environment, staff of Rivers State House of Assembly, we have Rivers State Ministry of Agric, we have NIMASA here, we have communities as well as civil society groups to talk about Renewable Energy.
“We know that the Fossil civilization is ending and this discourse about Renewable Energy is just apt at this time but we know that when these Renewable Energy are deployed, they are going to be deployed in communities so we are having this conversation.
“It is to look at how we will not fall into the same trap, into the same issues that we had with the oil and gas civilization, where it polluted communities, it encouraged land grabbing, sea grabbing, and all of that.
“How do we make communities central in this Renewable Energy discourse, so that is what we came here for and to also speak to the government agencies on how to mainstream community concerns into government project.”
Recalling research carried out by HOMEF on the perception of community people about Renewable Energy and climate change, Oduware said, “we found out that community people are very knowledgeable about some of these issues and they are also willing to participate in the Renewable Energy discourse.
“It’s now left for us to ensure that their concerns are mainstreamed in this discourse and to ensure that we do not use it as an avenue to dispossess them, we do not use it as an avenue to suppress them, we do not use it as an avenue to oppress them, we do not use it as an avenue to grab their land, to grab their water and make them go into hardship like the oil civilization has done. So, we are up for justice even in this Renewable Energy discourse.”
He further explained that, “Renewable Energy is one that is gotten from Renewable sources like the sun, the wind and all of that, but it also has its own negative impact because we have issues where communities now are crying because of the impact of lithium mining, critical mineral for the transition; lithium mining in Abuja, in Nasarawa and in other places, so, how do we ensure that these things do not become a menace to our communities.
“We know that renewable energy will ensure that there is no emission of CO2 which is one of the gases that is causing the global warming that we are experiencing now so with renewable energy we have that taken care of.”
In his message to the government, Oduware urged the government to wear human faces in their dealings with communities, insisting that communities need to be consulted, be part of the process, own the process, recognized, supported and protected against the harms.
To the communities, he said, “the role of the communities is to ensure that they look at what ever is coming and weigh it and be able to take informed decisions in this whole discuss. Communities should be able to this renewable energy project but they should ensure that their right are not usurp.”
He charged the participants to “as they leave here they need to also pass the message to the wider society to step down whatever they have come to learn here and to begin to have that discussions even in their individual spaces, even at work and even in their communities, and to ensure that they also join the fight against the suppression of our communities and to join the fight for justice in all that is done in our communities.
Speaking on the topic; “Fossil Fuel, Environmental/Climate Justice and the Needed Transition” one of the facilitators, Prof. Fidelis Allen explained that global climate justice is a movement that acknowledges climate change can have disproportionately harmful social, economic and public health impacts on populations.
According to him, human activities have been the main cause of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas, urging communities to embrace renewable energy options that suit them with consideration on location and cost.
On why communities should embrace renewable energy as the alternative, Allen added that “a just transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy means ensuring fairness, justice and wellbeing, leaving no one behind in responding to the climate crisis.”
Other facilitators who spoke were the Executive Director, Policy Alert, Mr. Tijan Bolton-Akpan, Prof. Fidelis Allen who was represented by Dr. Boma and Dr. Confidence Samuel who represented Dr. Emem Okon of Kebetkache.
In a response, the representative of the state ministry of environment, Dr. Nimi Elele said “good a thing we are here, we are happy with what is going on. Still wish and welcome more collaboration that you do more of your enlightenment in our communities.
“Our emphasis always is partnership for the goals, we will continue to partner to achieve sustainable development”,Elele said.
Also, the representative for NIMASA, Mrs. Bapakaye Young-Harry commended all the facilitators for the enlightenment.
She also appreciated HOMEF for being like brother and friend to NIMASA, urging them to continue the good work.
“My concern in all what we have done today is how the communities are going to benefit from this. We know that it is very expensive for them to get this, I want to appeal that the government assist the communities and make this work for them.
“Also, we know that even if they get this wind energy solar power, can they be able to maintain it, they still need more of this enlightenment to know how to maintain and sustain it,”she said.
In attendance were representatives from the State Ministry of Environment, Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, staff of the State House of Assembly, State Ministry of Agric, civil society groups, stakeholders from various communities and opinion leaders.