By Mercy Omoike
The Federal Ministry of Environment has inaugurated a Systems House at Vitapur Plc to optimise the use of ozone- and climate-friendly polyurethane systems.
The facility was inaugurated on Tuesday in Lagos, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the initiative aligns with the implementation of the Montreal Protocol’s Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP), which targets the elimination of HCFCs by Jan. 1, 2030.
HCFCs are substances with high ozone-depleting potential, commonly used in refrigeration, air-conditioning, and foam manufacturing.
In his keynote address, the Minister of Environment, Mallam Balarabe Lawal, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the Montreal Protocol and President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in addressing climate change challenges.
“I am honoured to be here today to commission the System House at Vitapur Nigeria Limited, which was optimised to formulate Ozone and Climate-friendly Polyurethane Systems.
“Under Stage I of the HPMP Project, my ministry, in collaboration with UNDP, supported the upgrade of the Systems House here at Vitapur for the formulation of ozone- and climate-friendly methyl formate-based pre-blended polyol.
“This serves as an alternative to the ozone-depleting HCFC-141b-based polyols used in rigid polyurethane foam applications.
“Consequently, the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol approved the current project which we are commissioning today.
“The overarching goal is to sustainably introduce a variety of Ozone & Climate-friendly technologies into our market, thereby facilitating the phase out of Ozone Depleting HCFC-141b in the Rigid Polyurethane Foam Sector.
” I wish to also re-iterate that the current government will put in place the necessary policies and enabling legislations that will support the activities of all relevant stakeholders involved in the implementation of the various Multilateral Environmental Agreements, to which Nigeria is a treaty.
“It is worthy to note that with the completion of this project, Vitapur has completely phased out the use of Ozone Depleting HCFC-141b in its operations.
“It is interesting to note that this Vitapur Project is one of two such in Africa, the other being in South Africa.
“At this juncture, permit me to re-affirm our commitment to the Montreal Protocol and its Kigali Amendment Programme.
“I will like to use the opportunity to acknowledge and specially thank UNDP, as our Lead Implementing Agency for the Project.
“We have over the years demonstrated our excellent collaboration with UNDP in the implementation of policies and programmes aimed at promoting environmental sustainability for us and the future generations,” the minister said.
On her part, the UNDP Resident Representative, Ms Elsie Attafuah, represented by Mr Muyiwa Odele, expressed satisfaction with Nigeria’s compliance with the phase-out of ozone-depleting materials.
“Today’s commissioning is more than a celebration of an infrastructure, because for us, it also represent a powerful symbol of Nigeria’s leadership in Environmental Stewardship, industrial innovation and sustainable development.
“It also reflects the strength of partnership between government, private sector and the international community in advancing climate action and inclusive economic transformation.
“For us at UNDP, our mandate is to support national governments in acceleration of the Sustainable Development Goal. And for us, this system house is a good example of a successful partnership.
“This system house also exemplifies global environmental agreements that can be localised to deliver tangible benefits for both people and the planet,” Attafuah said.
She noted that the development was advantageous to the country in several ways.
“It also has the advantage of creating green jobs, enhancing industrial competitiveness, safeguarding both public health and the ecosystems.
“So its commission strongly aligned with Nigeria’s commitment under the MOJO protocol.
“A global agreement that has successfully over the years since inception, faced out nearly 99 per cent of those substances worldwide through our collaboration with the federal ministry of environment and the National zoning office.
“We are very proud to support Nigeria’s transition to ozone and climate friendly technologies,” the UNDP representative said.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Vitapur Plc, Mr Zakari Sada, commended the federal government for its deliberate efforts in creating an enabling environment for businesses in the foam sector.
“This commissioning exemplifies the importance of collaboration among the industry international bodies such as the UNDP and the government itself.
“This is a demonstration of how responsible government leads the way to meaningful and sustainable development to fully optimise the potential of this project.
“This is a vital project for the nation, because it serves, to ensure a pollution-free environment. And we are happy that it is only Nigeria and South Africa that have achieved this milestone.
“I would like to assure you of our commitment to the address of the objectives of this project.
“We have established an integrated management system which has been certified by some organisations in Nigeria.
“We will continue to comply with applicable laws around quality health and protection of our environment,” Sada said. (NAN)
Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa
