BY CHIKA KWAMBA
A non-profit organization committed to promoting accountability and transparency in budget and public resources, Budgit Foundation has launched an initiative to sensitize communities in Delta State on embracing renewable energy sources.
At a one-day workshop with the theme “Energizing Sustainability, Integrated Strategies For Renewal Energy Transition in Nigeria” held in Ubulu-Uku, the State representative of Budgit Foundation, Mr Pius Okocha highlighted the benefits of renewal energy in local communities and the need for transition from fossil fuel to solar energy.
Speaking with The Pointer, he said “This is our first time holding such town hall meetings in Ubulu-Uku. We have done this in various places as an organisation, and we are bringing it to the grassroots. This would be a continuous exercise.
“We have about 50 participants and this meeting is about energy transition; moving from fossil fuels to renewal energy sources and this includes solar and accessibility to biogas and all sources of energy generation that do not damage the climate.
“Our mandate is to raise advocacy and sensitize the grassroots about the importance of this transition which the federal government has already keyed into so they can be empowered, enlightened and drive it themselves.
“In the olden days, most women in the villages cook with firewood and inhale the smoke in a kitchen that is air-tight which invariably affects their health in the future. Our goal is to enlighten the grassroots community about switching to affordable energy sources for home use as well as educate them on the environmental impact of bush burning during the planting season, which affects the climate and can cause acidic rainfall.
“We also explored possibilities for collaborating as a community to invest in solar or wind energy and powering our home appliances with biogas. We agreed that by working together, we can promote a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future for all” Okocha said.
