The Kaduna State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has trained no fewer than 500 women, youths and school feeding vendors on briquettes making to promote climate change adaptation in the state.
Abubakar Buba, Commissioner of Environment, disclosed this at the opening of a one-day training for women from the 23 local government areas of the state in Kaduna, the state capital.
According to him, climate change is the greatest threat to humanity, hence the need to reduce use of wood as source of cooking fuel.
“Felling of trees as sources of cooking fuel has exposed women to health hazards while exposing the environment to desertification.”
He described the briquette as a bio-gas invention used as a substitute for charcoal.
Buba said the programme would enable them to become self-reliant and contribute positively to the socio-economic and political development of the state.
He revealed that the training was the pilot phase of the scheme in collaboration with Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project.
He urged the participants to imbibe the empowerment programme with seriousness and commitment in order to achieve the set objectives.
On his part, Jubril Rufai, Project coordinator, ACReSAL, commended the state government, saying that training was in line with efforts towards mitigating climate change impacts.
He said no fewer than 500 women would benefit from the training while receiving briquette making equipment.
Yahaya Ibrahim, Chief Executive Officer, Prestine Green Environmental Safety Consulting Limited, said the participants had learnt how to produce briquette coal using waste materials, rice, sugar cane and maize husks, among others, without cutting down trees.
By Ezra Musa
