News Release: "Say No To Pollution"---FENRAD

Background: 
Nigeria like the rest of African counties is a developing country that are particularly vulnerable to climate change, due mainly to its high dependency on natural resources and rain-fed agriculture as well as to its relatively limited technological and economic capacities. Ironically, several factors have placed Nigeria in a position of a contributor to global emission of CO2. For example, Nigeria as an oil producing country flares about 1.2billion cubic feet (bcf/d) of gas a day. This amount of gas flare represents 12.5% of all globally flared gas, which is 68% of the associated gas produced or 51% of the total gas production. According to the African Energy Outlook for 2014, as at 2012, Nigeria flared about 17bcm on the average, slightly more than its annual consumption. However, gas flaring in other West African producing countries has remained around 12bcm per year.

Nigeria’s per capita CO2 Emission is estimated to be about 0.14 Metric tons by 2010.While developed countries like China and US are seen as industrialized nation with highest global emission, Nigeria doubles as a voracious consumer country thatcontributes to global emission from gas flaring, numerous automobiles, private jets ownership, manufacturing and agro allied industries. Nigeria’s population of about 170 million puts her in a position that her carbon foot print is significantly huge when compared to industrialized less dense populated countries in Europe. Therefore, it will be difficult to exonerate Nigeria from global CO2 emission due to her huge sources of carbon foot print.

From experiences, it is indicative that the proactiveness needed to fight climate change is not there. While the bulk of the rural settlements in Nigeria who make up the agrarian population are more vulnerable but lack basic information about Climate change, the urban settlement are not free from temperature variations that affect their socio-economic activities. Also, women’s traditional roles, including subsistence farming and water collection which means they are most dependent on livelihoods and resources that are put most at risk by climate change.
However, Nigeria’s situation in the face of changing climate is precarious. The threat of climate change to the socio-economic activities in Nigeria is grave and must be intervened upon with immediate effect.

For example, the effect of Climate change to Agriculture which is considered as the most weather-dependent of all human activities since climate is the primary determinant for agricultural productivity. Nigeria is under obligation to use the maximum of available resources for the progressive commitment of CO2 reduction. This obligation is encapsulated in national and international standards.

Secondly, most of us now realize we are addicted to fossil fuels that create vast quantities of carbon dioxide and that this addiction also extends to a wide variety of industrial and agricultural practices that create a whole host of other global warming gases.

The United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) set October 1, 2015 as the deadline for 195 member countries to make pledges to commit to setting out their roadmap to limit the effects of global warming to less than 2°C by 2100. The convention has published 146 countries that have committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Regrettably, Nigeria is missing from the list. This clearly shows the less commitments Nigeria is willing to sacrifice towards solving the climate crises.

The threat of climate change has never been more urgent. But the way forward has never been clearer. With citizens worldwide united in demanding action and clean energy solutions in our hands, a safe and sustainable future for the planet is finally in sight and the first step is a global agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Paris.
It is evident that awareness to adaptation is pivotal in the fight against Climate change and this is not at par with the rising consequences which the citizens and the policy makers would not undermine.

ACTIVITY FOR THE WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL DAY 2019:
Foundation For Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD) in collaboration with AFRICAN CLEAN UP INITIATIVE  and  Climate Sustainable Network of Nigeria (CSDevnet)
Will be Embarking on Motor Park Clean up Exercise and Sensitization/Awareness creation in the Motor Park to create Public Awareness on the need to get the Park out of dirt and to support the efforts of the management of the park in keeping the Environment Clean

It will also lead to an initiative of Establishing the Motor Park Environmental Monitoring Club which will be charge with the Responsibility of keeping the Park Clean and get rid of dirts in the Environment.

Our Primary purpose of this campaign is to ensure we all rise up against Air pollution and keep the environment clean; we all need to breathe good and clean air in order to stay healthy.
Objectives

By this proposal, FENRAD aims at:
Creating strategic awareness to the Various Stakeholders in the motor Park  and through various viable platforms on the Need to kept the Environment clean and get away all forms of pollution
Engage the government and stakeholders on a policy dialogue that will culminate in effective climate solutions, Waste Disposal and Management and Establish Environmental Monitoring Clubs

Activities:
Achieving Objective 1:
Organize a One-Day Clean Exercise in the Designated Motor Park in the Street of Aba And its Environ
Generate media articles to be published in National Dailies on the World Environmental Day 20-19
Have 2 Social Media Tweet Bust on the Issue
Engage the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency(ASEPA) on its Mandate to keep Abia State Clean and Establish a Robust Mechanism for Waste Management and Recycling.
TARGETED POPULTION:
Environmental Groups and Activist.
Market Leaders and other Sectors of the State Informal Sector Value chain

About FENRAD:
 Foundation For Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development(FENRAD) is a not-for-profit, Non-governmental organization and was founded in 2004 as Foundation For Environment, Human Rights, & Good Governance (FENHRGG) and was formerly registered with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Abuja in 2012 with  CAC/IT/NO 48555 under the Federal Republic of Nigeria laws as Foundation For Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development(FENRAD)    It has focus on Human rights, Democracy and Good Governance, Environmental Protection and Social Justice.
FENRAD’s mission is to promote and protect the interest of the vulnerable groups and the environment through the direct involvement of all stakeholders to ensure sustainable development and ensure the Human Rights are uphold and protected. FENRAD over the years have actively play a significant role in Community Development, community social mobilization activities, policy analysis/Advocacy and Human Rights work for more than five years,

FENRAD  focusing on various aspects of Community development, Electoral Process, Budgetary monitoring and Evaluation, Governance, social policy, human rights, social justice, and environmental management& Justice in the Niger-Delta Region. FENRAD Vision is   dedicated to sustainability, safeguarding human health, promoting environmental justice, and preserving ecological systems for a better future for all, community organizing, environmental justice, sustainability, environmental health problem solving, and the power of forging unlikely and cross-sector partnerships.

Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor
Executive Director
FENRAD Nigeria