By Mohammed Abubakar, Dutse
The Jigawa State government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Europa Carbon Ltd, a renewable energy company, with the core objectives of addressing climate change effects, create job opportunities for the youths and boosting the revenue base of the State.
The signing took place at a ceremony presided over by Governor Umar Namadi, when the Managing Director/CEO of Europa Carbon Limited, Engr. Muhammad Yadudu, led his company’s delegation to the Government House, Dutse.
The $500,000 deal, which would span a duration of 7-years, is amongst others, expected to mark the beginning of a transformative era in the state’s modern approach to energy generation and environmental management.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Hamisu Muhammad quoted the Governor as saying that, the MoU as a cornerstone of the State government’s agenda to reduce carbon emissions, enhance climatic resilience, and promote sustainable development.
“Through this partnership, clean energy will be generated to support agricultural and industrial activities across the state,” he said.
Namadi expressed his optimism about the MoU, stating, “Today, we are achieving another milestone in our journey to improve the energy demand of Jigawa state as well as to make it clean and safe.
“The signing of this MOU will help us to reduce carbon emissions and improve our revenue, because not only will it boost our revenue, but it will also contribute to making Jigawa safer and cleaner.”
He emphasized that the state government had already implemented significant changes to its operational modalities, such as converting nearly all water stations from mechanical to solar energy supply.
In addition, the governor hinted that the state was in the process of replacing diesel generators with solar-powered systems to further reduce carbon emissions and ensure a safer environment for the residents.
“This MOU signing ceremony is one of our 12-point agenda items to improve the revenue of Jigawa state, marking another milestone.”
He highlighted the potential for generating substantial carbon credits through agricultural and other activities, which would translate into significant revenue for the state while also contributing to a cleaner environment.
Namadi also congratulated Europa Carbon Limited on its selection for the project, stating that their expertise and experience were key factors in the decision. He expressed confidence that the collaboration would be smooth and mutually beneficial, driving energy generation and environmental sustainability for the state’s healthy development.
Yadudu, who provided further insight into the partnership, described Carbon Europa as a carbon advisory and trading company with operations in both Nigeria and Canada.
He added that they were in Jigawa to assist the state in tapping into the global carbon market, which is currently thriving in Nigeria.
According to him, the Nigerian carbon market had the potential to generate close to $2.5 billion, with a significant portion of these carbon credits to be developed in Nigerian states.
He outlined the key objectives of the MoU, which includes, amongst others, mitigating carbon emissions in Jigawa, creating jobs for the youth, and generating revenue for the state.
“Jigawa will be one of the first states in Nigeria to generate carbon credits, and we are committed to helping the state achieve this goal in partnership with the Ministry of Environment.
“First of all, it is to mitigate the carbon emission that is currently taking place within the state. Secondly, to create jobs for the teaming youths in the state and, thirdly, to generate revenue for the state, ” he said.