On Thursday, the Federal Government of Nigeria declared that the country should not be a destination for air conditioners and refrigerators that do not meet the internationally acceptable minimum energy performance standard for energy efficiency ratio.

The United Nations reported that Nigerians purchase about one million air conditioners annually, and the influx of substandard cooling appliances poses a threat to the climatic conditions across the country. The government urged the Nigeria Customs Service, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, and other relevant agencies to intensify their monitoring and enforcement of protocols to prevent Nigeria from becoming a dumping ground for substandard cooling appliances.

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The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Adeleke Momara, emphasised the importance of enforcing laws and standards to prevent non-compliance and achieve positive results. The minister made these remarks during the National Stakeholders’ Consultative Workshop on Energy Efficient and Climate-Friendly Cooling in Nigeria, organised by the Energy Commission of Nigeria and the United Nations Environment Programme.

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The workshop aimed to promote energy efficiency best practices in the cooling sector and support Nigeria’s transition to efficient cooling appliances. The Minister acknowledged that Nigeria has become one of the fastest-growing air conditioner and refrigerator markets in the world, and the country’s demand for cooling devices will continue to grow due to population growth, improving lifestyle, urbanisation, and rising global warming.

However, most of the air conditioners utilised in the country do not meet the internationally acceptable minimum energy performance standard for energy efficiency ratio, resulting in high energy bills for Nigerians.