By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal has solicited the technical assistance of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in fighting insecurity and banditry in forests in the country..
Ibrahim Haruna, Head, Press and Public Relations Unit, Federal Ministry of Environment disclosed this in a press release on Wednesday.
He said the Minister made the request when he received the new Resident Representative of the UNDP, Ms. Elsie Attafuaw recently in Abuja.
The press release said he also asked for UNDP’s support in tackling climate change challenges and environmental sustainability.
The minister identified other areas of collaboration and partnership between the Ministry and UNDP to include pollution control, biodiversity, erosion and flood control and desert encroachment among others.
The press release said the new UNDP Resident Representative, Ms. Elsie Attafuaw congratulated the minister on his well deserved appointment as Minister of Environment.
“Elsie reiterated that energy is a national security issue, and lamented that Nigerian and many African nations are not doing enough on energy, climate change, new innovations, plastic pollution, conservation and biodiversity.
“She added that UNDP will support Nigeria in the development of its roadmap on environment and achieving its mandate of its 18 key priority deliverables of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR Renewed Hope Agenda on environment.
“The envoy stated that she feels very much at home being in Nigeria and promised to collaborate with the ministry on climate change crisis.”
