The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has selected Ogun State as one of the pilot states for the Used Off-Grid Renewable Energy Equipment (OGREE) Waste Management Project aimed at promoting a circular economy and sustainable environmental management in Nigeria.
The Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Dr Ola Oresanya, disclosed this while declaring open a UNIDO workshop on the State Implementation Plan and Guidelines for Data Collection and Management under the OGREE Waste Management Project in Abeokuta.
Oresanya said the state’s selection reflects the government’s commitment to environmental sustainability and its readiness to champion innovative approaches that promote resource efficiency, waste reduction, recycling, resource recovery and green economic growth.
According to him, Ogun was selected as one of the core states under UNIDO’s Project 220145, Component 2, which is designed to advance Nigeria’s green and just transition to net-zero emissions through the adoption of circular economy initiatives.
He attributed the nomination to the state’s consistent implementation of circular economy programmes and environmental sustainability initiatives.
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The commissioner noted that the recognition would further strengthen Ogun’s achievements in climate change mitigation and circular economy projects.
He also highlighted the state’s recent collaboration with the federal government on the distribution of more than 3,000 biomass smokeless stoves to residents as part of efforts to reduce carbon emissions and ease the economic burden associated with rising cooking gas prices.
“Aside from this, the state government was one of the first in the country to adopt and launch thousands of electric bikes and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses, providing environmentally friendly alternatives to fossil fuel-powered vehicles and reducing carbon emissions in line with the state’s Energy Transition Roadmap for a cleaner and healthier environment,” he said.
Oresanya added that the government has also implemented several initiatives, including the Blue Box Initiative for household waste segregation, the Plastic for Cash programme, community recycling projects, cement industry decarbonisation projects and senatorial material recovery programmes.
He urged participants drawn from government agencies, technical partners, the private sector, academia and non-governmental organisations to actively participate in the workshop by sharing ideas and experiences that would contribute to the successful implementation of the project.
The commissioner also expressed appreciation to UNIDO for its technical support and partnership in implementing the OGREE Waste Management Project in the state.
Speaking at the event, the National Field Coordinator of the UNIDO Nigeria Office, Ms Emem Umana, commended the Ogun State Government for its commitment to circular economy initiatives and environmental sustainability.
She encouraged the state to sustain its socio-economic and environmental reforms, noting that the efforts had earned Ogun recognition as a leading state in the promotion of green growth and sustainable development.
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