Abuja — The Federal Government is to build an ozone village. This was contained in a press statement from the ministry of environment.

Mr. John Odey, Minister of Environment, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Safiya Muhammad made this known in his address at the 13th Joint Meeting of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) Officers Network For Africa (ODSONET/AF) held in Abuja.

The village according to Mr. Odey will serve as a technology development and training center. As part of this aproject, some locally fabricated prototype ozone friendly machines have been developed. The machines include a box foaming machine, CFC recovery and recycling machine and hydrocarbon refrigerant production machine.

The Minister added that the box foam machine has been certified by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as globally competitive. He however, called for the support of the organisation to consider the hydrocarbon production machine as a pilot demonstration project, under the HCFC phase out programme. On the ozone layer, the Minister said that the world has made tremendous progress in its efforts to protect it. He stated that it has been a quiet revolution in the International chemicals management agenda.

In his speech at the occasion, Dr. Gilbert Bankobeza of Ozone Secretariat congratulated all the 195 countries who are parties to the Montreal Protocol for the enormous sacrifice, support and hard work invested so far to phase out ODS since 1987 when the agreement was reached.