ABUJA, 18 September 2014 - The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has handed over 30 low-pressure foam machines, worth around USD 1 million, to the government of Nigeria to strengthen the country’s capacity to implement the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

The equipment, procured by UNIDO with financing from the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol, will be used by small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the refrigerator and air-conditioning sector. It will allow them to stop using the ozone-depleting chemical 1,1-dichloro-1-fluoro-ethane (HCFC 141B), and instead use the ozone-friendly, Methylformate.

The handover ceremony in Abuja was held in connection with the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. A second ceremony took place in Ibadan, in the south-west of the country.

The Minister of Environment, Laurentia Laraba-Mallam, thanked UNIDO for its technical assistance, calling it a milestone for Nigeria and an important step towards phasing out ozone depleting substances.

John Akhabue, President of the National Association of the Refrigerator and Air-conditioning Practitioners of Nigeria, added that the equipment will be used by the makers of ice machines identified during a nationwide survey of the industrial use of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs).

Patrick Kormawa, UNIDO Representative to Nigeria and the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), reiterated the organization’s commitment to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity in phasing out ozone depleting substances. “The equipment provided by UNIDO will serve dual purposes. On one hand, it will contribute to the protection of the environment and, on the other, help create new jobs in the industry based on UNIDO’s inclusive and sustainable industrial development approach,” he said.

For more information, please contact:

UNIDO Office in Nigeria
email