Muhammadu Sanusi II, the Emir of Kano, has said that there is the need for a collective effort to adopt the use of renewable energy in addressing the effects of climate change on the environment and human lives.
Sanusi made the call at the graduation and induction ceremony of women trainees of the “Energize-Her Gida-Gida” initiative of the state government facilitated by the Centre for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Transition (CREST), Bayero University Kano.
In his address, the emir said that renewable energy is very important especially at a time that “we are witnessing climate changes”.
“The emissions we are getting from cooking in our houses alone is 2 per cent of green house gasses and 20 per cent of black carbon emissions,” he said. “If we can adopt this everywhere, it will go along way in addressing our issues,”.
Read also: Data shows many protected landscapes owned by English water firms in disrepair
Speaking further, he said “People have been looking down on the issues of climate change but now everyone is seeing it. Where there is no rain now are witnessing floods, deserts growing grasses, prolonged raining season and the rest. If we are not proactive in addressing that we will be affected and will be in trouble especially in Africa were we don’t have the resources to face the problem head-on.”
The emir, however, emphasized on the need to accord more support for women as agents of change.
He said that it was also important to give maximum attention to women folk.
“People tend to forget that even way back, the women were not idle, they do business at home and the men take it out to sell in the market,”he said. “We all know that our grandmothers did not stay like that,”.
“At this critical economic time, we must look for ways to get more income, sometimes it is even more profitable than salary.”
Story was adapted from the Guardian.
