By Halimah Olamide
Nigeria has remained largely insensitive to the dangers that climate change poses to the economic and social wellbeing of her people.
This was the conclusion on Wednesday when experts gathered to x-ray the current state of affairs on the global campaign for new and urgent approaches to climate conditions.
The event was the unveiling of the latest report on Climate change by Abuja-based Agora Policy, a leading Think-Tank in Nigeria.
Among speakers at the unveiling, which held at the Yar’Adua International Conference Centre Abuja were the Country Director of the World Bank in Nigeria, Mr. Shubham Chaudhuri; Country Director, MacArthur Foundation, Dr. Kole Shettima; CEO, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Tola Aduloju, Director, Centre for Climate and Development, Prof Chukwumerije Okereke, a retired professor of Climatology at the University of Lagos, Emmanuel Oladipo and others.
In his welcome address, Founder of Agora Policy, Mr. Waziri Adio, said so far, authorities have continued to display the “it’s not our problem” attitude towards climate change crisis despite what he described as the obvious challenges it poses to national economy and social wellbeing.
While lamenting what he called the poor attitude towards Climate change, Adio said whether Nigerians like it or not, the challenges are already obvious.
“Our national attitude oscillates between denial and indifference. Most of our people, including highly-placed government officials, see climate change as other people’s problems or an issue that is only for tree-huggers and environmentalists, or something that should bother only those who have the luxury of not wrestling with hunger and other existential matters—as we say in Pidgin, “somtin for pipu wey don belleful.”
“Or because we are a people of fantastic faith, we simply think and believe that the negative impacts of climate change will never be our portion.”
He listed some of the factors already affecting Nigerians as rising temperatures, irregular rainfall patterns, and increased threats of desertification and gully erosion.
Adio said Nigerians are already feeling the impacts from short supplies in food production, water resources, health, and infrastructure.
Shettima, the Nigeria Office Director of the MacArthur Foundation, listed the organisation’s commitment to providing access to energy, particularly in rural and low-income communities.
Shettima emphasised that climate change affects different populations disproportionately, with the poor and disadvantaged being more severely impacted.
Mr Shubham Chaudhuri, the Country Director of the World Bank, called for more coordinated action to tackle climate change issues in Nigeria.
He highlighted the World Bank’s support for Nigeria in responding to climate change, with a focus on adaptation and mitigation efforts.
“Climate change adaptation is an overwhelming challenge, issues of rising temperatures, flooding, drought abounds and we must move from policies to action.
“Nigeria must do more to improve access to energy resources so as to promote development, doing this will help all development efforts.’’
Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke, the Director, Centre for Climate Change and Development, emphasised the need for an inclusive, all-of-society approach to address the urgent climate crisis for a sustainable future in Nigeria.
Reviewing the 84-page Agora Policy report titled “Climate Change and Socio-Economic Development in Nigeria’’. Okereke revealed projections of approximately 460 billion dollars in losses by 2050 due to climate change.
He highlighted the potential need to relocate between 27 and 53 million people by 2050 due to a rise in sea levels caused by global warming.
Prof Emmanuel Oladipo, who said he had attended many meetings and conferences on behalf of Nigeria seeking solutions to Climate change challenges, told the gathering that he stopped attending because Nigeria, of all other countries, has failed to implement solutions brought home from such meetings.
He said part of the insensitivity is the continued disregard for the effect of climate change by the developments of residential areas in the Lekki, Ikoyi, Ajah and other areas of Lagos where coastal and sea surges have continued to indicate impending disaster.
The experts called on Governments at all levels to listen to the voice of reason, adding that other countries of the world are taking giant leaps towards mitigating the impact of the change in climatic conditions.