Firm warns against ozone layer depletion

Management of Rite Foods Limited has called on Nigerians to take collective action to prevent further depletion of the ozone layer.

The company’s General Manager, Operations, Mr Olufemi Ajileye, and Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Mr Ekuma Eze, made the call during an interaction with journalists at the company’s factory in Ososa, Ogun State, on Thursday.

The event was organised to mark this year’s International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, held on September 16 every year.

Forty years ago, nations signed the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, committing to measures that would shield people and the planet from harmful ultraviolet radiation

Speaking, Ekuma stressed that conscious efforts to safeguard the ozone layer had become even more urgent as Nigerians grappled with the effects of climate change, including flooding and extreme weather.

He urged Nigerians to cut down on fossil fuel use, reduce carbon emissions, and embrace renewable energy and sustainable practices.

Ekuma said, “We need to drastically reduce carbon emissions. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the ozone layer is not depleted, and the only way you can do that is through sustainability practices.

Let people in their different corners imbibe sustainability practices. It is a collective responsibility. In our organisation, we are saving what would have depleted the ozone layer. By not using diesel, we save the ozone layer from carbon emissions. We are repurposing carbon that should have gone into the ozone layer.”

He noted that the unpredictability of weather patterns in recent years was a clear sign of climate change.

“During my school days, you could say that by the end of October, there would be no more rain; by November, you had harmattan. But you can’t say that these days. It still rains in December. It is the effect of climate change.

“What causes climate change is the depletion of the ozone layer. The farmer-herder crisis is partly caused by climate change because the Niger Basin is drying up, so they no longer have vegetation to feed the cattle and have to migrate south.

“Within the week, the government issued a warning regarding flooding in some states. These are the impacts of climate change. So it is our collective responsibility to protect the environment. We need to save the environment and create awareness,” he added.

Ekuma also highlighted the company’s Rite on the Beach initiative, which recovers plastic waste and converts it into school bags distributed to indigent students in Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory.

On his part, Ajileye said Rite Foods had cut down its reliance on diesel in its operations.

According to him, the company currently runs on 92 per cent gas, 6.5 per cent automotive gas oil and 1.5 per cent solar.

He added that the firm was scaling up renewable energy use across its operations, noting that its forklifts now run on electricity instead of diesel.

Ajileye also listed the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility pillars as education, youth empowerment, environmental stewardship and community engagement.

Cupped from punch.