United Nations Environment Programme representative Brian Holu disclosed that over one million air conditioners were sold annually in Nigeria, adding that this was eating deep into the finances of Nigerians concerning energy bills.
In reaction to the report, the federal government has warned that relevant agencies must refrain from allowing the country to be a dumping ground for sub-standard air conditioners and refrigerators with an energy efficiency ratio below internationally acceptable performance.
The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Adeleke Mamora, disclosed this on Thursday at the National Stakeholders’ Consultative Workshop on Energy Efficient and Climate-Friendly Cooling in Nigeria held in Abuja.
Mamora was responding to the United Nations Environment Programme representative Brian Holuj’s announcement; he said Nigeria’s economic size and global warming have made it a viable destination for cooling devices such as air conditioners and refrigerators.
The Minister urged relevant agencies such as the Nigeria Customs Service and Standard Organization of Nigeria to be alive to their responsibilities to avoid the economic calamity of the country becoming a dump site.
“The customs, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, and other relevant agencies need to be alive to their responsibilities and ensure that Nigeria does not become a dumping ground, where you just bring in all sorts of products that are not in line with what we expect by way of standards,” the Minister stated.
