2 hours ago
4
A lecturer at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS), Mr Habibu Adamu, has urged northern state governments to invest more in solar energy as part of efforts to combat climate change.
Adamu, from the Department of Geology, emphasised that increased investment in solar energy would reduce over-dependence on the national grid, thereby positively contributing to climate change mitigation.
He made this statement on Thursday when one of his students, Aisha Abubakar, visited Magajin Garin Primary School, Sokoto, to educate pupils on the effects of climate change.
Adamu said, “It is high time the government put in place a policy that allows about fifty per cent of energy supply in government offices to come from solar power.”
He explained that such an initiative would help reduce the current pressure on other energy sources.
“The initiative will reduce the pressure we are currently witnessing on other sources of energy. I believe both the private sector and the government can key into this, not only for our benefit but for the sake of our children in the future,” he added.
Adamu also called for climate legislation from state Houses of Assembly to make the use of solar energy mandatory across sectors, including by building contractors.
He described Aisha as a dedicated student who has demonstrated leadership qualities in the state.
“The department, having gotten an opportunity to present a student for training in the United States of America, did not hesitate to present Aisha for the trip,” he said.
“We know she is very competent, and that was why we supported her in representing us in the United States of America for the six-week program. Upon her return to the country, she decided to share her acquired knowledge with school children, and to the amazement of all of us, she chose her former primary school. We believe this will motivate the students to know they can also be celebrated in the future,” he added.
Adamu, however, called on the government and residents of the state to understand that the current climate cannot be compared to what it will be in the next ten years.
Earlier, Aisha Abubakar, a student from the Department of Geology at UDUS, explained that her decision to campaign on climate change in primary schools, including Federal Government College Staff School and Magajin Rafin Primary School, Sokoto, was aimed at encouraging pupils to take the issue seriously.
Aisha, who recently completed a six-week training program in the United States on the effects of climate change, explained that she decided to share her newly acquired knowledge with primary school students to enhance their understanding of the subject.
She said her belief in the younger generation motivated her to take the awareness campaign to primary schools, encouraging the pupils to take an interest in the issue.
“As for we adults, we are already used to some of the factors of climate change, so we need to let the children know exactly what are the contributing factors to climate change and how it can be tackled,” she said.
Aisha also called on the state government to prioritize climate action and tap into the available opportunities.
“I even want to use this opportunity to call on the state government to key into this issue of climate change and make use of the available opportunities it presents. We should invest more in solar energy as well as gas cookers. We should invest more in public transportation, which will reduce vehicles on the road, thereby reducing emissions in the town,” she added.
READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
