To fast-track Nigeria’s transition from harmful refrigerants to climate-friendly alternatives, two leading environmental organisations—Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADeV Nigeria) and EnviroNews Nigeria—have teamed up to empower media professionals and civil society organisations (CSOs) with the tools to drive public engagement and policy advocacy.
The virtual workshop, held on Thursday, June 12, 2025, was themed “The Role of the Media and CSOs/NGOs in Advancing Nigeria’s Transition from ODS to Climate-Friendly Refrigerants and Cooling Technologies.” It brought together journalists, CSOs, and international experts to highlight the urgency of phasing out ozone-depleting substances (ODS) and fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-GHGs), in line with the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.
Opening the session, Dr. Leslie Adogame, Executive Director of SRADeV Nigeria, underlined the need for more inclusive communication strategies to simplify the complex science of climate change for the wider public.
“Despite Nigeria’s progress in phasing out harmful refrigerants, there’s a noticeable knowledge gap, not only among citizens but also within the media and public institutions,” he noted. “This initiative aims to bridge that gap through strategic awareness and capacity-building.”
The workshop built on insights from a previous stakeholders’ meeting held on April 10 in Abuja, where participants stressed the importance of leveraging media and grassroots advocacy to accelerate Nigeria’s refrigerant transition.
Jeremiah Ato of SRADeV led an in-depth session on the environmental and health impacts of ODS, including Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to eliminate chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). He cited the country’s advancement to Stage III of its HCFC Phase-Out Management Plan (HPMP), targeting a 67.5% reduction in HCFCs by 2025 and a full phase-out by 2030.
However, Ato also warned of the unintended climate consequences of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which replaced ODS but carry high global warming potential. “We’re now in a race not just against ozone depletion, but also against worsening climate change,” he explained.
Michael Simire, Editor-in-Chief of EnviroNews Nigeria, focused on the role of environmental journalism in demystifying climate language and shaping public opinion.
“The media must move beyond simply reporting facts—it must spark conversation, correct disinformation, and inspire action,” Simire said. “Environmental storytelling should not alienate people with jargon, but connect them with real-life implications and solutions.”
Speakers from Brazil and Kenya added a global dimension to the conversation, sharing lessons from their own countries’ implementation of the Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Amendment. They noted that despite regional differences, the challenge of effectively communicating technical climate information is universal.
In interactive breakout sessions, participants were grouped into media and CSO clusters to develop advocacy strategies. Civil society representatives crafted messaging to engage women and youth on sustainable cooling solutions, while journalists practiced crafting accessible headlines to communicate the Protocol’s aims to the wider public.
The session closed with a unified call for collaborative action: the media was urged to track and report Nigeria’s climate commitments with precision and persistence, while CSOs were encouraged to initiate community-level campaigns promoting certified technicians and the use of green-labelled appliances.
Together, these efforts mark a decisive step toward positioning Nigeria as a responsible stakeholder in global climate action—one that prioritises both environmental health and public empowerment.
