Some important people met in Abuja on Wednesday to talk about reducing carbon emissions, which are harmful to people’s health and the environment.
They called for everyone to work together to cut down carbon emissions during an event called World Decarbonization Day. The theme of the event was “Accelerating Decarbonization for a Climate Secure Future.”
Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, a top official in Health and Environment Services in Abuja, said too much carbon in the air is dangerous to human health and life.
She said they chose World Decarbonization Day to remind people how carbon emissions can harm the air we breathe.
Fasawe explained that breathing in polluted air can cause serious health problems like high temperatures, asthma, lung diseases, and even cancer, especially in young people.
She said that decarbonization means cutting down emissions from things like car exhausts, generators, fossil fuels, and trash dumps that sometimes catch fire on their own.
Fasawe added that while we move away from fossil fuels, we should do it carefully so we don’t harm the environment. She believes renewable energy will lead the way in the future.
She said one day, solar energy and inverters could provide power for hospitals, villages, and entire communities—and that day will come.
Dr. Oladunni Owo, President of Women in Energy, Oil and Gas Nigeria, called the event bold and focused on real change.
She said that decarbonization is not just about changing technology, but also about shifting power. Climate justice, she said, is a global issue, not just about helping others.
Owo encouraged women to take the lead, saying that women have always stepped up during hard times to help families and communities.
Mr. Teseer Ugbor, a lawmaker in the House of Representatives, said women play a key role in promoting clean energy and raising awareness.
He said the government had visited places where gas is burned (flared), talked with oil companies, and was working on a new law to stop gas flaring.
This new law, now in its second stage, aims to give harsher punishments to those who flare gas and to help communities harmed by it.
Ugbor said once the law is passed, it will make gas flaring less attractive and push companies to use the gas in better, more useful ways.
Mrs. Toyin Yusuf, Vice Chair of World Decarbonization Day, said the 2025 summit will focus on spreading awareness, using new technology, and supporting global decarbonization.
She encouraged Nigeria and Africa to be leaders in fighting climate change, saying that even though Nigeria still uses fossil fuels, it must meet its goal to reduce emissions to net-zero.
Yusuf pointed out that technologies like carbon capture, storage, and tree planting are important for protecting the environment and reaching climate goals.
