Abuja – A don, Prof. Labode Popoola, has advised the Federal Government to formulate relevant policies on green economy and green growth to enhance sustainable development.
Popoola, a Professor of Forest Economics at the University of Ibadan, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday that green growth and green economy were new concepts in development field.
Popoola, who is also a director at the Centre for Sustainable Development at the university, said that the concepts were relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The director said that the concepts were also relevant to the solutions initiatives to enhance delivery on the global development agenda.
“The concepts are about respect for the environment.
“The relevance of the concepts point to issues of environmental sustainability, risk management, land and resource conservation.
“Hence, inclusive growth, governance, good leadership, social equity and participation of all stakeholders, which are elements of the green economy.
“These elements would make part of the end sum to successful delivery on the SDGs,’’ he said.
The director, however, said that bulk of the work to formulate policies rested on the desks of people in government.
In addition, he said that Nigeria was not too far off in terms of resource capacity and the level of hope raised by the current national leadership on the concepts.
“The government needs to work on relevant policies for the country to lay a solid foundation on the path of the green economy and green growth.
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“Our environment needs to be explored with respect for resource conservation principles,’’ he said.
Popoola said that Nigeria had capacity and the laws that could guide against destructive utilisation of natural resources.
He said that emphasis should be on enforcement of those laws and organising orientation and re-orientation programmes for the stakeholders in the sector.
“There is need to organise orientation programmes on good governance, promotion of indigenous knowledge and technology, cultivating sustainable development practices and culture across board.
“This training will do wonders at achieving the green economy and sustainable growth.’’
He, however, said that the centre had been organising courses on green economy and green growth for stakeholders to understand the concepts better.
The director said that people had also been encouraged to study sustainable development related courses at the centre.
“The programmes are not designed for only classroom interactions, but also involve practical training and research, field trips and visitation to relevant places within the country and overseas.
“These motivate and inspire the minds of our candidates to take up projects that pertain to sustainable development in their professions and fields of specialisation.
“The experiences that our alumni share after completion of their programmes are always stories of success to the centre,’’ he said.
NAN reports that CESDEV has been contributing to sustainable development in the country and Africa through research, training and development.
CESDEV, being a teaching, research, training and development centre, coordinates activities and programmes tailored to create awareness on sustainable development.
It stresses the need for inclusive governance and good leadership across board. (NAN)
