The Nigerian Government and Federal Republic of Finland have pledged to strengthen bilateral tie in the areas of circular economy, climate change and other environmental issues affecting the two countries.
This was the highpoint of a meeting between the Minister of Environment, Surv. Suleiman Hassan Zarma, and the Finish Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Jykri Pulkkinen, held in Abuja.
While speaking at the meeting, the minister restated Nigeria’s commitment to boost the economy through viable strategies that include waste recycling and management, and resources conservation.
Hassan Zarma explained that “globally, natural environment has become a currency. And Nigeria, like other nations, is working assiduously to earn the currency.”
He said the APC-led Federal Government is very passionate and committed to its cardinal programme of turning the country’s mass waste materials into wealth through recycling, as it has the capacity to fast-track economic growth and accelerated development.
While pledging to collaborate with key stakeholders to fully implement the ministry’s economic blueprint, Zarma added: “Recycling will help the country to conserve beneficial natural resources and energy, which are fast been depleted through over-exploitation, while also mitigating the hazardous impact of climate change on our environment.”
He said that, as part of efforts put in place to revert the devastation of climate change in the country, the ministry has embarked on various sensitisation campaigns and strategic programmes, in order to enlighten the public on ways to prevent the destruction of natural habitats and biodiversity.
Speaking, Pulkkinen revealed that they were in the ministry to identify and also seek areas of cooperation between Nigeria and Finland, as both countries have peculiar environmental challenges, together with the problem of harnessing scarce resources for development.
“How to properly care and protect the natural environment is something that the Finnish government takes seriously. We believe Nigeria and Finland can mutually partner and seek ways to address the issue of scarce resources’ depletion and global warming, which is caused by climate change,” he said.
