28032019 - NATIONAL ASSEMBLY LEADERSHIP:All clear for Lawan; fresh crisis brews over Gbaja

18 — Vanguard, THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019
TEN years into the war against the
Boko Haram Islamic insurgency
group in the North East, our country
might face a new phase of threats with
the final defeat of the self-styled
Islamic State, IS, in Baghuz, its last
stand in Syria last week.
The BBC recently quoted the Head
of the United States military’s Central
Command, General Joseph Votel, as
warning of the need to maintain “a
vigilant offensive against the now
grossly dispersed and disaggregated
IS that retains leaders, fighters,
facilitators, resources and the profane
ideology that fuels their efforts”.
The IS at the height of its bravado
under its leader, Sheikh Abu Bakr al
Baghdadi, once controlled a
“caliphate” spanning 88,000 square
kilometres of territory in Iraq and
Syria. These areas are rich in mineral
(including oil) and water resources,
agricultural lands and factories that
Danger for Nigeria after IS defeat in Syria
help to sustain the economies of both
Middle Eastern countries.
Nigeria has so many reasons to be
nervous that the IS terrorists might
want to increase their presence in the
West African sub-region where it had
already established links with the Abu
Musab Al Barnawi faction of Boko
Haram. Like the Levant in the Middle
East, the Lake Chad area is also
believed to be oil-rich.
It certainly controls a lot of water
and agricultural resources, apart from
being an ancient watershed of Islam.
These are factors that attract Islamists.
In addition, our anti-Boko Haram
war in the North East has shown
serious vulnerability in recent months.
As President Muhammadu Buhari
prepares for a new term of office from
May 29, this year, we hope he is finally
ready to bring on board a new crop
of military chiefs as well as a
recharged agenda to neutralise
whatever intentions the IS network
and its local agents might have in the
North East. We must send clear signals
that no inch of our country will be a
comfort zone for the IS, Al Qaeda and
other Islamic terror groups that might
be contemplating evil thoughts about
our country.
One sure way of fortifying our
defence and security in the North East
is to approach it as the international
threat that it really is. The victory in
Iraq and Syria would not have been
possible if not for the roles played by
such countries as the US, Turkey,
Russia, the Kurds and, of course, the
local forces in both countries.
We must revive the Multi-National
Joint Task Force, MNJTF, and reenlist
the support of the Lake Chad
countries such as Niger, Chad,
Cameroon and even Mali and
Burkina Faso. More importantly, the
world must also send fighters and
technology to ward off the virus of
terror before it plants deep roots in
the Sahara and the Sahel.
By Akunna Sophia Ofili
WITH the evolving changes
emanating from climate and
environmental issues in all parts of the
world, man has been saddled with the
responsibility of finding lasting solutions
to these problems. Nigeria as the most
densely populated black nation in the
world has been faced with serious energy
deficit which have adversely affected the
growth of the Micro Small and Medium
Enterprises, MSMEs. In the quest to
meet up with the increasing demands
on performance and the need to
maximise cost for profit, alternative local
and cheap measures have always been
the major energy source adopted to
enhance products and services in
Nigeria.
Many homes and restaurants resort to
the use of firewood and kerosene for
cooking, especially for larger families,
groups, parties, etc., mainly due to the
availability, inexpensive nature of
firewood and lack of access to modern
cooking fuels, However, a great number
of households are not aware of the
health implications and hazards that
are associated with cooking with
firewood. Also not knowing a better
alternative, many users of kerosene do
not only know the health hazards which
include indoor air pollution and high
volatility of the product when it is
adulterated, but also don’t know that
kerosene is more expensive to buy.
Fire wood is considered as the oldest
OPINION
Revolutionalisng Nigeria’s MSMEs with off grid renewable energy
form of cooking energy. The vast
majority of households in rural areas
cook with firewood, which is known to
produce various airborne toxins.
Traditional open fire and stoves which
are mainly fueled by fire wood and
kerosene come in handy for domestic
cooking and heating. The use of these
methods of cooking in the rural areas
has continued to dominate the region.
The smoke and toxins emitted can lead
to an endless list of health problems such
as heart diseases, lung cancer, low birth
weight, impaired vision, increased
respiratory symptoms, such as irritation
of the airways, coughing, or difficulty
breathing, decreased lung function,
aggravated asthma, development of
chronic bronchitis, irregular heartbeat,
non-fatal heart attacks andpremature
death in people with heart or lung
disease.
This impact is larger for women and
children than for men due to the known
fact that they are more familiar with the
harvest and usage of these dirty energy
sources. The use of locally made
lanterns is also a major source of concern,
especially because, they provide poor
visual light that result in very serious
eye defect and damage. These health
problems are a great threat to human
existence. Hence, it is important to
provide MSMEs unlimited access to
clean, safe and affordable cooking
options. The success of many SMEs
can be linked strongly with the method
of energy used to run the businesses.
Availability of electricity is usually a
major restriction, especially at night and
as such, limits the time for business
operations. Using renewable energy to
power street light will boost activities
during night hours. In the rural areas
many SMEs still make use of locally
made lanterns for illumination,
especially when it is dark or at evening
hours. To reduce the ongoing damage
caused by the use of dirty sources, time
is now to provide MSMEs increased
access to clean, safe and affordable
Renewable energy facilities
generally require less
maintenance because as the
name sounds, its sources
which include the sun, wind,
hydro, etc., renew themselves
energy options, because they are nonpollutant
and non-contributor to
greenhouse gas that contribute to global
warming. Renewable energy plays a
major role in the reduction of the health
and environmental problems,
experienced in most areas.
Renewable energy fuels are derived
from natural and available resources and
this makes it easy to harness. One major
advantage of renewable energy is that,
it is sustainable and will not run out and
this increases the efficiency of the
activities of MSME. Renewable energy
facilities generally require less
maintenance because as the name
sounds, its sources which include the
sun, wind, hydro etc. renew themselves.
To provide sustainable businesses
that can improve the economy of Nigeria,
the government and other charitable
organisations should see the need to
provide grants, low interest finance, tax
havens and other financial options to
help them run these businesses
effectively. Local governments can lead
by example by generating energy onsite,
purchasing green power, or
purchasing renewable energy. Using a
combination of renewable energy
options can help meet local
governments’ goals, especially in some
regions where availability and quality
of renewable resources vary.
Manufacturers and wholesalers of
these products and services should
endeavor to provide energy options at
rates that the MSMES can afford and
have confidence in. This will go a long
way in encouraging their businesses,
increase capacity level and curbing the
health and environment hazards that
have been a threat to the human
existence for a long time. Educational
programmes should be organized to
inform and educate rural dwellers on the
negative implications of using these
traditional and local forms of energy.
They should also be provided with ample
information on the advantages of
renewable energy over other forms of
energy, and how it can be used to
overturn their lives and businesses.
•Mrs. Ofili is of the Climate
Transformation and Energy
Remediation Society, Abuja.