Director General, Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Dr. Jobson Ewalefoh has called on private partners in Infrastructures development in Nigeria and indeed Africa to channel their resources on renewable energy to mitigate the effect of horrendous climate change.
The DG, ICRC made the call as a panelist, during the sensitization forum tittled ‘ Climate Finance Strategies for Africa’ at the Abuja Continental Hotel on Monday in Abuja.
Everybody being individual, private, public sector and nations he said, must first of all agree that the issue of climate change, is a global issue and that Africa should be part of it.
Dr. Ewalefor in an interview with press men at the occasion explained that Infrastructures Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) is a government agency, mandated to carry it Regulatory Framework with private partnership as an agency of government to ensure that the necessary private sector fundings are injected into the infrastructures for the benefit of Nigerians.
Ewalefor said,” Part of our framework is that companies, private partners should have in mind at the begining that they must first find a way to take care of environmental degradation and it’s effect on climate”.
“To address this issue, there has to be concerted effort by everybody and all nations, especially Africa and we are here to discuss and deliberate on various options, strategies we can use to solve the issue of climate change”.
“To resolve the issue, we have to put in the necessary framework, tap into the various funding that are available globally in addressing this issue”.
“Climate funding requires domestic or counterpart funding if you may say, and it is time for us to mobilise all nations of Africa and that these things are not just free”.
The DG reiterated that the strategies the ICRC is recommending is for the multinationals and the private sector to accept climate change as a global challenge everywhere and they have to increase their CSR and contributions in financing the issue of climate change, while navigating ways of mitigating the risks of causing too much damage to the sector.
Dr. Ewalefor therefore assured those partnering with government at whatever level, that their investments are secured and recueable, while the needed services are provided to Nigerians at affordable rate and the government gets value for it.
