Lagos State residents and businesses operating in the state spend about N5.3tn annually on fossil fuels due to the low supply of electricity from the national grid.
Mr. Tunji Bello, Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, at the first Lagos State climate change business meeting with members of the Organised Private Sector in Lagos, stated that the average daily cost of generating alternative electricity by residents and businesses using diesel or petrol was estimated at N14.4 billion.
He said the statistics were from the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory conducted by the ministry to ascertain the impact of emissions on the environment in the state. Bello expressed worries that reliance on fossil fuels was exacerbating the state’s vulnerability to the effects of climate change.
The commissioner, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Mr. Gaji Tajudeen, stated that the study also showed that the energy sector was the highest contributor to greenhouse emissions.
Bello noted that the amount of electricity supplied to the state from the national grid was still low as the state received less than 12,000MWh daily from the national grid, representing about 6.25 percent.
He said, “When we compare generator cost of N130/KWh with a grid cost of N50/KWh, the cost associated with burning fossil fuel by residents and businesses in the state for energy generation daily is estimated at a staggering sum of N14.4bn and N5.3tn.
“This value currently spent on non-renewable energy sources can be channelled into renewable sources with potential savings made.”
Bello urged the private sector to work with the state government to mobilize support and resources for the implementation of the state’s Climate Action Plan, which was launched in 2021, in order to achieve a sustainable low-carbon and climate-resilient socioeconomic development.
He stated that there are opportunities in the environment sector through public private partnerships.
The General Manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe; General Manager, Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency, Mrs. Toun Popoola; and Managing Director, Lagos Waste Management Agency, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, affirmed that their respective agencies were implementing various initiatives that promoted climate change and environmental sustainability.
The Head of Sustainability, Dangote Cement, Dr. Igazeuma Okoroba, commended the Lagos State government for the business meeting with the organized private sector, describing it as a novel action to foster a wider collective action in addressing the challenges of climate change.
