The IGP said the initiative is the Force's contribution to Nigeria's global commitments on climate change issues.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olukayode Egbetokun, on Monday, said they will be unveiling the Nigeria Police Green Initiatives (NPGI) as an effort to drive low-emission engagements and boost effective policing in Nigeria.
Mr Egbetokun disclosed this during a side event at the Nigerian pavilion at the ongoing 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai on Monday.
He explained that the Nigerian police emission reduction programme is a sustainable development programme aimed at deploying green initiative solutions to support Nigeria's transition to a low carbon emission programme and also boost the Force's operational efficiency and capacity to fight crime and maintain law and order in Nigeria.
"We'll be launching this programme very soon. We have not fixed a day for the official launching, but we intend to officially launch this programme by January next year," he said.
Mr Egbetokun said there is a growing global concern about climate change and that the initiative is the Force's contribution to Nigeria's global commitments to climate change issues.
"What we are doing right now is to blaze the trail so that other agencies of government will follow. We expect that immediately we launch the programme, other agencies of government will follow, and other private organisations will also join," he said.
Core objectives
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On Monday, Mr Egbetokun explained that the main objective of the NGPI among several others is to encourage lifestyle change among officers of the police force in Nigeria.
He said the initiative will facilitate the adoption of solar power across all police barracks and colleges.
"It will help to lighten up security with solar power to reduce security vulnerability," he added.
Mr Egbetokun noted that the Police Go Green initiative is the latest milestone in Nigeria's green and sustainable journey.
COP28
At the ongoing Summit in Dubai, the Nigerian government on Monday said it funded only 422 of the total 1,411 Nigerian delegates accredited for the conference this year.
As the biggest economy and most populous country in Africa, with a substantial extractive economy and extensive vulnerability to climate change, the government said Nigeria has a significant stake in climate action, and that their active and robust participation at COP is therefore not unwarranted.
"COP-28 presents an array of investment and partnership opportunities for the various sectors affected by climate change, and Nigeria is already benefiting from its ongoing participation," the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, said.
This story was produced as part of the 2023 Climate Change Media Partnership, a journalism fellowship organized by Internews' Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security.
