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By correspondent in Minna.
Former military Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar wants the three tiers of government in Nigeria to promote, revamped and sustain green economy to ensure healthier society.
He gave the advice at the opening ceremony of a two-day 1st Niger state Green Economy Summit which took place at the Idris Legbo Kutigi international conference centre, Minna.
Gen.Abubakar described the Summit, with the Theme;
“Sustainable Future: Harnessing Green Assets and Innovation for Niger State’s Prosperity” as timely, expressing optimism that it would go a long way in checking soil erosion and desertification.
Contributing, one time governor of Niger state, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, sympathized with the current Governor of the state,Umar Bago in handling issues of green economy in the state.
“It is not going to be easy to protect the forests from people who for years are used to engage in bush burning in order to safeguard the natural environment,” he noted .
Governor Bago had earlier in his speech promised to safeguard the environment and to secure prosperous future.
He told the gathering that the summit was aimed at galvanizing actions, sub-national and national and to define ways by which his administration could collectively harness the nation’s green assets and innovation to usher in prosperity.
According to him, the administration under his watch had produced its first Green Economy Blueprint, a strategic document outlining a visionary roadmap that will not only shape the development choices, but also steer its actions.
The Summit, he added, presents a draft to stakeholders for their review and input after which it shall be formally launched and applied,ahead of the preparation for the appropriation proposals for 2024 and beyond.
Bago said the blueprint, a comprehensive guide that details the vision, objectives, strategies and action, was designed to transform the state into a beacon of green prosperity that is environmentally sustainable, socially inclusive, and economically robust.
The government said that the programme would cut across vital sectors like renewable energy, transportation, infrastructure, agriculture, inclusivity, and tourism among others.
The Summit, which has in attendance the Governor of Borno state, Professor Babagana Umaru Zulum ,witnessed paper presentations by experts on environmental issues from within and outside the country.
According to Wikipedia, a green economy is an economy that aims at reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities, and that which aims for sustainable development without degrading the environment. It is closely related with ecological economics, but has a more politically applied focus.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
