Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, has stressed the need to protect the environment, adding that President Bola Tinubu is aware that ‘our’ environment is under threat from various levels.
The minister spoke yesterday during the inauguration of the Optimized System House at Vitapur Nigeria Limited in Lagos, a facility for producing ozone and climate-friendly polyurethane systems for rigid foam.
He said the upgraded facility, designed to phase out ozone depleting substances and mitigate climate change, now meets international standards, phasing out 301.32 metric tons of ozone-depleting Hydro-chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC-141b).
Lawal, in his keynote, also said the project, which is under Stage II of the Hydro-chlorofluorocarbon Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP), will foster eco-friendly local production, create green jobs, promote environmental stewardship, and reduce Nigeria’s import reliance.
He said the President has made it very clear that ‘we must protect our environment’ because the he is aware that ‘our environment’ is under threat from various levels.
“From rising sea levels around the coast, flood in Sokoto and in Maiduguri, because of the climate change that we are confronting, and erosion within the central part of the country. We must find ways and means of protecting our environment,” Lawal stated.
According to him, the project is a testament to Nigeria’s commitment to the Montreal Protocol and a sustainable future.
Signed in 1987, the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer is a global agreement that has, over the years, successfully phased out nearly 99 per cent of the ozone depletion substances worldwide.
Nigeria acceded to the Protocol in October 1988 and ratified all subsequent amendments, including the Kigali Amendment for the phasedown of Hydro-chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) in 2018.
The Minister said the optimized system house at Vitapur is in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and supported by the Multilateral Fund, noting that the initiative builds on the success of Stage I, addressing challenges like shrinkage and high density in foam products.
He pointed out that the facility is one of only two such projects in Africa, alongside South Africa, and it aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to promote indigenous production and environmental stewardship.
The Minister, while thanking UNDP for its unwavering partnership, reaffirmed Nigeria’s dedication to the Montreal Protocol and its Kigali Amendment. “Together, we’re safeguarding our planet for future generations,” he said.
He, however, assured that the Federal Government will continue to promote and strengthen the enabling policies to confront the environmental challenges.
In her opening remarks, the UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Elsie Attafuah, represented by Mr. Muyiwa Odele, said the inauguration of the facility at Vitapur is more than the celebration of an infrastructure, but “a powerful symbol of Nigeria’s leadership in environmental stewardship, industrial innovation, and sustainable development.”
She said it also reflects the strength of partnership between government, private sector, and the international community in advancing climate action and inclusive economic transformation.
“This system house also exemplifies global environmental agreement that can be localised to deliver tangible benefits for both people and the planet. It also has the advantage of creating green jobs, enhancing industrial competitiveness, safeguarding both public health and the eco systems,” the UNDP Resident Rep added.
Attafuah, while noting that UNDP’s mandate is to support national governments in the acceleration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said the commissioning strongly aligns with Nigeria’s commitment under the Montreal Protocol.
She pledged UNDP’s continued support for Nigeria’s transition to ozone and climate-friendly technology, noting that the Montreal Protocol is a developmental blueprint that reflects Nigeria’s ambition to transform its economy through clean energy resilient infrastructure and inclusive growth.
Delivering the project status report, the Group Managing Director, Vitafoam, Mr. Taiwo Adeniyi, said the Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) phase 11 took just two years, drawing lessons from phase 1.
He said with the support of the Ministry and the UNDP, the phase 11 of the project has achieved successes such as the relocation of the system’s laboratory to more conducive environment to improve the quality of work being done in the laboratory.
Adeniyi also said Vitapur has been able to achieve a complete phase out of the HCFC-141b, which is an ozone depleting material in the production of its service panels.
“We have gone beyond just being able to produce the materials, we have also put the raw materials into production such that the panels we produce in Vitapur are free from ozone depleting chemicals,” he said.
The Vitafoam GMD added that on the functionality scale, the phase 11 of the project has enhanced the capabilities of Vitapur in the areas of trials, testing, and training.
He, however, said despite achieving its set objectives, the project has, however, thrown up some challenges. “We have this lab to test our raw materials, but there is a challenge around ensuring that materials imported into this environment also does not contain ozone depleting chemicals,” Adeniyi said, for instance.
He, therefore, said there is need for a central lab that tests not just what Vitapur does, but also what is imported into this environment.
Highpoints of the inauguration ceremony were the signing of agreement and presentation of certificate of completion to Vitapur by the Minister, as well as a facility tour by the Minister, his entourage and other dignitaries.
Incorporated in 2009, Vitapur Nigeria Limited commenced operations in 2011. It produces chemical systems, insulated panels and boards which are used for a wide range of building and construction solutions including temporary and permanent houses, offices, schools, hospitals, police posts, market stalls, warehouses, etc.
This is applicable to roofs, walls and floors. In addition, the company produces rigid foam pipe sections which are used for insulation of process lines in order to maintain temperatures along pipe lengths.
This is adaptable in food and beverages, chemicals, oil and gas, breweries and other manufacturing industries process lines.
