The Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) have trained media stakeholders in Kano on Industrial Energy Efficiency (IEE) and Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP) Methodologies.
The training aimed to strengthen public awareness and support for sustainable industrial practices in Nigeria.
The training, implemented by GEF- UNIDO IEE and RECP Project Nigeria, was designed to equip journalists with the technical knowledge and reporting skills required to accurately communicate the economic, environmental and development benefits of energy efficiency and cleaner production.
Speaking at the opening in Kano on Wednesday, the National Project Coordinator, Mr Oladipo Jacob, said the workshop was organised to help media professionals properly understand and report the technical aspects and wider relevance of the project.
“The training is for the media to understand how to report on the technical and non-technical aspects of the project so the public can appreciate its importance,” Jacob said.
He explained that the project had significantly benefited Nigerian industries by addressing power challenges and improving productivity.
“Industries that have implemented the outcomes of this project are now producing more with less energy.
“Their capacity has been enhanced through continuous training on energy efficiency and resource management, with positive impact on production and the environment,” he said.
Jacob urged industries across the country to adopt the knowledge gained from the project to improve competitiveness and sustainability.
In a presentation titled ‘The Fundamentals of Industrial Energy Efficiency and It’s Impact on Sustainability’, the IEE National Expert, Mr Obafemi Adejumo, said industrial energy efficiency focused on achieving higher output with the same energy or maintaining output with reduced energy use.
He stated that inefficient energy use increased costs and environmental pollution, stressing that effective energy management was critical to industrial survival and growth.
The National Technical Coordinator of the project, Dr Oluwasegun Oshidipe, said the workshop aimed to familiarise journalists with sustainability concepts and appropriate reporting language.
He said without proper media understanding and communication, impactful projects would fail to reach the public.
Also speaking, Mr Chukwudubem Anyadiegwu, said RECP was a preventive approach that reduced waste, energy and resource use while improving productivity and profitability, adding that it was both an environmental and economic development story.
A Communications expert, Mrs Mojisola Osiboye, urged journalists to report sustainability issues using verifiable data, avoid greenwashing and present technical information in clear, simple language.
“The overall goal is to control industrial energy consumption, resources uses and environmental impact while improving productivity and competitiveness” she said. (NAN)