Kwara State Launches Eco-Friendly Briquettes to Combat Deforestation
The Kwara State Government, in collaboration with the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReASAL) and the Abral Development Initiative (ADI), has introduced an eco-friendly initiative involving the production of briquettes made entirely from organic materials.
This alternative to traditional charcoal, launched at the Universal Climate Initiative (UCI) event in Ijagbo, Oyun Local Government Area, is aimed at reducing deforestation caused by charcoal production. The briquettes are made from agricultural waste products like orange peels, banana peels, rice husks, and corn husks, offering a cleaner, more sustainable energy source.
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, represented by the state Commissioner for Environment, Hajia Nafisat Huge, emphasized the importance of trees in maintaining a healthy environment, noting that they purify the air, provide shelter for wildlife, and help mitigate climate change.
Furthermore, the initiative, which also includes the planting of 160,000 trees across the 16 local government areas of the state, is part of efforts to safeguard the environment and promote long-term ecological health. The project aligns with global and national climate goals, as it introduces energy-saving stoves and supports local production, ensuring a positive and lasting impact on the state’s forests.
Opeyemi Alao, Chairman of the Abral Development Initiative, explained that the project not only provides an eco-friendly alternative to charcoal but also generates economic benefits for local communities. Training programs are being offered to help individuals produce the briquettes, empowering residents to generate income while supporting environmental conservation. This initiative benefits rural areas where traditional charcoal is costly or scarce, as “Eedu Ramoni” offers a more affordable and sustainable fuel option.
Shamsudeen Aregbe, the ACReASAL State Project Coordinator for Kwara, outlined the broader objectives of the tree-planting initiative, which is part of the President Bola Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope agenda. The initiative aims to reclaim one million hectares of land in the northern states and the FCT, with Kwara State set to restore 35,000 hectares of land. The project includes the establishment of tree-planting nurseries, with five hectares already dedicated to this cause in Ijagbo, ensuring that both degraded land is restored and new areas are protected from degradation.
