Chibeze Ezekiel

Chibeze Ezekiel (born 1979/1980) is a Ghanaian environmental activist and a 2020 Goldman Environmental Prize award recipient for Africa.[1][2] He is known to have challenged the Ghanaian Ministry of Environment to cancel the construction of a coal plant through activism.

A picture of Chibeze Ezekiel with the Goldman prize 2020

Life and career

He is the founder of Strategic Youth Network for Development, a youth centered organization for environmental and social change in Ghana. He was also the National Coordinator of 350 Ghana Reducing Our Carbon (350 GROC)[3] He is the chair of Youth in Natural Resource and Environmental Governance (Youth-NREG).[1] He serves as Panel Member of International Experts on the Environment of Peace 2022 (EP 2022) project.[4]

Activism

The government of Ghana in 2013 proposed the construction of 700 MW coal power plant and adjoining port in Aboabo in Ekumfi district. The project which was proposed by the Volta River Authority and Shenzen Energy Group. The project required $1.5 Billion loan from China African Development Fund. The project was going to be the first of a kind in Ghana which has no coal reserves hence there would be importation of raw material annually from South Africa estimated to be about 2 million tons.[2]

Chibeze led grassroots to campaign against the construction of a coal-fired power station in Ghana. He worked with the local communities educating them on the damage the coal-fired power station would have caused. He further requested that the government switch to renewable energy.[5]

References
  1. "Ghanaian environmental activist Chibeze Ezekiel wins Goldman Environmental Prize". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 2020-11-30. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  2. "Chibeze Ezekiel". Goldman Environmental Foundation. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  3. "Ghana: Environmental defender Chibeze Ezekiel wins 2020 Goldman Environmental Prize for Africa - Business & Human Rights Resource Centre". www.business-humanrights.org. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  4. "Ghanaian environmentalist appointed on Environment of Peace 2022 project". Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana. 2020-09-20. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
  5. "One man's fight to stop a coal power station". BBC News. Retrieved 2020-12-12.


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