As a 20th year anniversary gift to themselves, and with about 95% of ODSs successfully phased out, the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, at its 19th meeting held in Montreal in September, 2007, agreed on an accelerated phase out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). This came with a decision directing the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund to assist the Parties in the preparation of HCFC Phase out Management Plans (HPMP).

The HPMP for Nigeria, approved at the 62nd meeting of the ExCom, is expected to result in the complete phase- out of 407.7 ODP tonnes of HCFCs in the Country by 1st January 2040. While UNDP is the Lead Implementing Agency, UNIDO is the Cooperating Agency for the HPMP Project. The first control measure was the freeze on consumption of HCFCs from January 1 2013, using the average of 2009 and 2010 as the baseline level. The next control step was the reduction of 10% from the baseline levels by Jan 1 2015.

Nigeria is conscious of the need to reap full an added environmental benefits from its ODS Phase Out efforts, as a result of which the country has committed itself to adopting technologies that will yield climate Co-Benefits. Its HCFC Phase-out Strategies therefore include replacements with Methyl Formate (MF) and Hydrocarbons (HC). This phase out route is assisting the Country to drive innovation in the direction of setting up a System House and Implementation of an Hydrocarbon (HC) Plant Production Pilot Project.
The plan is to be implemented in two stages. Stage 1, whose actions are for completion in five years has the 2013 consumption freeze and the 2015 10% reduction as targets. This is expected to result in a phase-out of 90.1 ODP tonnes. Stage 2, whose actions was to be presented for approval in 2015 was delayed and is now due for approval in November, 2017. The considerations below relate to actions undertaken under stage 1 of the plan’s implementation.

The HPMP is managed, under a NEx (National Execution) implementation modality, by the Federal Ministry of Environment who has the overall responsibility for the implementation of the Montreal Protocol in Nigeria.
Department Of Pollution Control & Environmental Health (PC&EH)

The Department of PC&EH is one of the Technical Departments in the Ministry. To achieve its aims and objectives and promote effective coordination, the department is structured into Six (6) Divisions namely:
i. Chemicals Management (CM) Division;
ii. Sewage & Air Emission Management (SAE) Division;
iii. Marine Pollution, Contamination Clean-Up & Remediation (MCCR) Division;
iv. Solid Waste Management (SWM) Division;
v. Hazardous Waste Management, Cleaner Production & Environmental Extension Services (HCE) Division;
vi. Environmental Health & Sanitation (EHS) Division.

The current Director of the Department is Mr. Charles Ikeah.
Within the department is established the National Ozone Office (NOO) with the responsibility for Coordinating the activities for the Implementation of the Protocol and Ozone Depleting Substances Phase out programme.

The functions of the NOO include the following:
a) Provide secretariat support for the National Advisory Committee
b) Liaise on behalf of the Minister with National and International Organizations on matters relating to the Phase-out of Ozone Depleting Substances;
c) Prepare and review, from time to time, the Country Programme on the Phase out of Ozone Depleting Substances in Nigeria;
d) Prepare and submit National reports on the Consumption and Phase-out of Ozone Depleting Substances to the Ozone Secretariat and the Multilateral Fund Secretariat set up under the Protocol.
e) Receive, process and recommend applications for permits to import and export ozone depleting substances and license to handle ozone depleting substances;
f) Monitor and evaluate the consumption levels of ozone depleting substance in Nigeria.
g) Identify end-users of controlled substances;
h) Carry out training and capacity building programme for technicians and engineers that use ozone depleting substances on the phase-out of the controlled substances and how to switch to alternatives that are ozone friendly;
i) Recommend to the Multilateral Fund Secretariat, set up under the Protocol, projects for conversion to ozone friendly processes, monitor the implementation and certify the completion of such projects;
j) Certify the destruction of equipment which used controlled substances;
k) Carry out awareness activities on ozone layer protection matters.

The UNDP Country Office provides backstopping supports to the project, especially as it relates to funds disbursement in line with UNDP rules and guidelines.
Implementation of activities under the project are governed by MOAs between Government and Recipients, in form of milestones/deliverables to be met by recipient on the basis of which approved fund are released to them after due verification by Government and UNDP using agreed indicators.
In addition, other Government Agencies also play significant roles in the activities for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol in Nigeria, in particular in Data Collection and Monitoring of Import and Export of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) and generally in the operation of the Licensing System. These Organizations include the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC) and the National Customs Service (NCS).

Other relevant Organizations and Associations include:
 The National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency;
 The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA);
 The Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON); and
 The Consumer Protection Council
 The National Association of Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Practitioners (NARAP)
 The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN)
Four strategic lines have been defined for the Implementation of HPMP in the Country:
  •  The first is the conversion of companies in the Polyurethane Foam Sector.
  •  The second is the conversion of companies in the Commercial Refrigeration and AC Manufacturing Sector (RACM).
  •  The third is associated with the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Servicing Sector (RACS)
  •  Finally, is the programme for Project Coordination, and Management activities.
The strategic line was adopted to ensure that the activities undertaken and the sub-sectors in which activities are undertaken produce the greatest impact in terms of amount of ODP to be phased out. This led to:

  •  Prioritizing of HCFC-141b phase-out for first and second programmes of implementation 2013/2015/2020 compliance;
  •  Prioritizing, in the first phases of the HPMP, those technologies that are mature and ready to be implemented, except for some              demonstration-type of activities (i.e. supercritical CO2 for sprayfoams);
  •  Emphasizing local capacity (blending, HC production) to assure cost-effective availability of alternatives.
  •  Local production of refrigerant-grade hydrocarbons as a preparatory measure for the servicing sector, thus displacing the need for increased HCFCs consumption therein.
  •  Inclusion of training for HC and other alternative use in the service sector including tooling and strengthening of existing relevant institutions.


Members of the Project Implementation Team inspecting rigid foam samples at the Laboratory
(L-R:Mr.Etienne Gonin; Mr. Bert Veenendaal & Engr. Idris Abdullahi)