Nigeria is pursuing international partnership with Morocco to create collaborative platform for increased deployment of solar energy technologies to enhance security and sustainable development.

The Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, who disclosed this, while giving account of one-year stewardship, said investments in the power sector is to encourage the implementation of renewable energy solution in the country.

She added that Nigeria has begun to explore and invest in a variety of alternative energy components, not only to address its carbon emissions, but to embrace cleaner alternatives to cooking such as liquefied petroleum gas and ethanol cook stoves.

According to the minister, Nigeria is promoting investment in solar power projects in several rural villages to improve education, water supply, health, agriculture, commerce, security and all these would offer opportunities to women.

On national budget, she hinted, the 2016 budget was not reflective of the level of work needed to execute by the Environment ministry. “Our capital budget is N4.9 billion of which N1.457 billion was released as at September amounting to 29.5 percent and 96 percent utilized”. She added

The minister maintained that environmental degradation has been identified as the root cause of insecurity and conflicts like Boko Haram insurgency, Niger Delta and militancy in the south and more recently conflict between herdsmen and farmers, where mostly women are caught at the centre.

Commenting on Ogoniland Clean up Project, she said out of $1 billion set aside, $200million would be released and for the period of five years, adding, this would commence when a revised gazette is put in place.

“The government wants to put up structures that would enhance the take-off of the project, and over 1,000 women would be empowered to improve their livelihoods”, she added.