The minister of state for environment, Kunle Salako, says the decision by President Bola Tinubu to remove fuel subsidy has reduced Nigeria’s consumption rate by about 33 per cent.

Mr Salako said on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York that the action has reduced the emission generated by petrol.

“The singular action has reduced Nigeria’s consumption of petrol by 33 per cent, reduced the level of emission generated by Nigerians,” the minister explained. “The courageous decision to remove subsidy from petroleum is furthering climate action by Nigeria.”

Mr Salako added, “I had highlighted this development in some of the meetings I attended or represented the President and at the meeting of Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change and at the meeting of Commonwealth Ministers of Environment and Climate.”

Nigeria participated in the meeting where Mr Salako represented the president “to pass a resolution to adopt the Nairobi Declaration for final vetting” by the meeting of AU.

“The first meeting of Commonwealth Ministers of Environment and Climate in which the Ministers decided to approach the 28th Conference of Parties in Dubai come late November to early December with common front of pushing for better financing for climate action,” the minister explained further. 

Mr Salako stated, “I represented Nigeria at the meeting, and I established that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, by taking the courageous decision to remove subsidy from petroleum, is furthering climate action by Nigeria. It has also focused the attention of Nigeria at corporate and individual levels to renewable energy.”

He revealed that Nigeria would urge other countries to increase their efforts on this issue.

“This is our vision for the future, and we invite everyone to act and envision solutions that will preserve nature for future générations,” he said.

The minister said Nigeria was doing its best to promote transformative actions commensurate with the biodiversity crisis scale, “exerting these efforts within our own country in addition to supporting countries in our sub-region to increase their capacity in this regard.”

(NAN)