By Virtuous Ikeoluwa
The National Ozone Office (NOO), Federal Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) has initiated efforts to sustain and manage the end-of-life components of air conditioners.
The Minister of Environment, Alhaji Balarabe Lawal, stated this on Wednesday in Kano during a training session on the management of end-of-life air conditioners and refrigerants, in collaboration with United Nations Environment Programme United for Efficiency initiative.
Represented by the Director of the NOO, Idris Abdullahi, the minister highlighted that a significant portion of the global population is vulnerable to growing health risks due to extreme heat.
He emphasized that cooling is essential for human well-being, health, agriculture, and many other applications.
“Air conditioners are vital for human comfort. As technology advances, owners of outdated air conditioners are opting to replace them with more efficient and modern models.
“It is crucial to educate stakeholders on measures and strategies to mitigate the risks associated with the improper disposal of used AC units,” he said.
On his part, Dr Shehu Mustapha of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, said the training focuses on improving the skills of relevant stakeholders to sustainably manage the end-of-life components of air conditioners.
He added that these collective efforts aim to accelerate the transition to energy-efficient air conditioners using climate-friendly refrigerants, in alignment with Nigeria’s climate targets outlined in the revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Climate Agreement.
The project, titled “Scaling Up Energy-Efficient and Climate-Friendly Cooling in Nigeria’s NDC revision, is being coordinated by the ECN with technical assistance from UNEP U4E.
It is implemented by the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) and the National Ozone Office, with support from the Clean Cooling Collaborative.
