The Lagos State Government has announced its intention to rely on cleaner energy in improving the Information and Communication Technology sector in the state.
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said the intentions of the state government to achieve significant reductions in carbon emissions were highlighted at the first stakeholders’ virtual roundtable with the ICT industry stakeholders on Thursday.
The Commissioner, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Olalere Odusote, emphasised the importance of the ICT sector in achieving the state’s ambitions of becoming a smart city and a 21st-century economy as evidenced by the ongoing deployment of 6,000 kilometres of fiber optic cables across the state.
According to him, Lagos has the highest density of ICT infrastructure in Nigeria, and the sector accounts for about 410,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per annum in the state.
He enjoined the attendees to collaborate with the state on its journey towards a low-carbon economy by embracing cleaner energy sources such as solar, wind, and Liquefied Petroleum Gas.
“The current administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is focused on providing the leadership and the enabling environment and is crafting the appropriate policies to support this transition,” Odusote said.
He said the state government remained keen to continue to lead Nigeria’s clean energy transition and to reduce carbon emissions.
According to the statement, the state government is also working with energy sector players to ensure that various clean energy solutions are available to the ICT sector to enable the transition.
The General Manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Dr Adedolapo Fasewa, said, “Lagos State is committed to supporting Nigeria to achieve the objective of net zero emission target by 2050 under the C40 Cities Alliance alongside nine other African cities.”
She added that to attain and surpass the lofty goals in the state would require the full commitment and collaboration of all stakeholders.
