Earlier this week, on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, the world celebrated World Environment Day, an annual event that emphasises the significance of protecting our environment, which serves as the foundation for life and economic progress. It was fitting that this year’s topic was “land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience.”
Minister of State for Environment, Dr Iziaq Salako
According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, up to 40% of the world’s land is degraded, directly harming half of the global population, the majority of whom live in developing nations.
Land degradation, drought, and desertification have long been major issues in Nigeria, which has experienced continuous deforestation over the previous decade, with Global Forest Watch statistics revealing that Nigeria lost 86,700 hectares of tropical forest between 2010 and 2019. As alarming as this may sound, study has shown that, if no quick action is taken, a further 25% of our surviving forest will vanish by 2060, transforming a large portion of our country into degraded and desolate ground. We can’t let this happen.
Meanwhile, both Nigeria’s Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy and the Deep Decarbonisation Report, which examine various pathways for Nigeria to achieve its net-zero-by-2060 goal, found that Nigeria’s AFOLU sector contributed the most sectoral emissions (30%), compared to the oil and gas sector (29%).
In light of this, Nigeria is prioritising Nature-based Solutions (NbS) as a critical tool to help address global warming, increase resilience to climate impacts, combat poverty, and achieve long-term development for the country. This is in alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR and the eight presidential priority areas.
While it is understandable that Nigeria has set its sights on transforming the energy sector, it is also true that only through a renewable energy scenario that also transforms the AFOLU sector will Nigeria be able to meet its commitment of net zero by 2060, allowing Nigeria’s economy to grow while also meeting its sustainability goals.
While Nigeria has been a key player in leveraging NbS to address climate change, this government is committed to going further and faster with nature-based solutions such as ecosystem restoration and sustainable management to address social and environmental issues such as land degradation and climate change.
We are leveraging the REDD+ programme, the Great Green Wall Initiative, the ACReSAL project, natural capital accounting, the HYPREP mangrove restoration in Ogoni land, among other initiatives.
Nigeria began its REDD+ journey in 2009, with Cross River State serving as the pilot state. The programme will eventually spread to Edo, Ondo, Ogun, Nasarawa, Kaduna, and Plateau states. To guarantee a holistic and effective approach, Nigeria implemented its REDD+ initiatives using a two-track methodology that included both federal and state-level actions that reflected the country’s unique federal system. Nigeria’s REDD+ programme has completed its readiness phase and has moved forward with the development of Forest Reference Emission Levels, Safeguards Information System, Multiple Benefits, and MRV systems, as well as preliminary drafts of benefit sharing systems and the Feedback and Grievances Redress Mechanism (FGRM).
In 2021, Nigeria released the REDD+ Strategy paper, which considered the drivers of forest degradation and deforestation, mitigation methods, and how to quantify progress in order to use forests as carbon sinks to reduce emissions by 20% by 2050. The REDD+ Strategy would be implemented in stages over a thirty-year period, from 2021 to 2050, with short-, medium-, and long-term objectives.
Nigeria is leading the Great Green Wall of the Sahara and Sahel, a pan-African programme launched by the African Union in 2005 with the goal of restoring 100,000 hectares of land, sequestering 250 tonnes of CO2, and creating 10,000,000 jobs in Africa’s Great Green Wall corridor by addressing land degradation, desertification, biodiversity loss, and building climate resilience.
Nigeria has domesticated the programme and established the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) to coordinate the initiative across the eleven Great Green Wall states of Sokoto, Kebbi, Kastina, Zamfara, Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, Borno, and Adamawa.
Over the years, the Great Green Wall project in Nigeria has established 1,500-kilometer-long shelter belts, woodlots, promoted the planting of indigenous tree species, established plant nurseries, led tree-planting projects with millions of trees already planted, and provided alternative livelihood sources for communities to ensure that they do not overly rely on the land while restoration is underway.
In 2022, as part of attempts to continue to rely on nature-based solutions to address climate change and sustainable development, Nigeria, in collaboration with the World Bank, launched the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) programme for all 19 states of Northern Nigeria. The ACReSAL project is a multi-sectoral programme aimed at addressing climate change and land degradation in Northern Nigeria in a multidimensional manner. It focuses on strategic watershed planning, landscape investments, special ecosystems, community investments, contingent emergency response, and so on. At the moment, efforts are being made at the state and federal levels to accomplish the project’s aims.
I am delighted that Nigeria is one of the 12 countries that will benefit from The Global Environment Facility’s (GEF-8) Net-Zero Nature-Positive Accelerator Integrated Programme (NZNPA IP), which is designed to help countries raise their ambitions and achieve national net-zero targets while promoting nature-positive outcomes, thereby creating the capacity and conditions for long-term, nature-positive and inclusive systemic economic transformation.
Our government is also dedicated to driving efforts to incorporate natural capital accounting into its development plans as a means of emphasising the economic and social benefits of repairing and sustainably managing our ecosystem. What instantly stands out from the foregoing is Nigeria’s willingness to rely on nature-based solutions to conserve its biodiversity, protect its people’s livelihoods, so addressing the problem of poverty and a lack of livelihood sources, and combat climate change.
Given that climatic consequences are not restricted by borders and that actions to reduce them in one clime can influence others, rich countries must view expenditures in NbS as an investment in the global fight to combat climate change. As a result, it is critical that significant climate financing be committed to supporting NbS not only in Nigeria, but also around the world.
These should not be viewed as charitable donations, but rather as investments, which can take the form of carbon trading. Such investments will provide the required funding for developing countries’ climate action in a quid pro quo framework. This is one of the reasons Nigeria will present at COP29 in Azerbaijan.
As Nigeria prepares to submit revised NDCs in 2025, it will guarantee that NbS remains a vital part of them. It not only contributes to climate change mitigation, but it also addresses citizens’ livelihood requirements, particularly those of rural inhabitants, food insecurity, and attracts much-needed climate finance.
Dr Iziaq Salako is the Minister of State for the Environment, Federal Republic of Nigeria
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, has commended the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Nedogas Development Company Limited for initiating and successfully executing the 300 million standard cubic feet (MMscf) Kwale Gas Gathering (KGG) Facility and Nedogas Plant in Umusam community, Delta State.
L-R: Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Omatsola Felix Ogbe; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperipe Ekpo; Deputy Governor, Delta State, Chief Monday Onyeme; and the Chairman, Nedogas Development Company Limited, Emeka Ene, at the commissioning/unveiling of the Kwale Gas Gathering facility promoted by NEDOGAS Limited and NCDMB on Thursday, June 6, 2024, in Kwale, Delta State
Speaking at the formal commissioning of the two projects on Thursday, June 6, 2024, the Minister said the outcome of the strategic collaboration between the two companies represents “a significant advancement in the country’s efforts to promote sustainability, energy efficiency, and economic expansion.”
According to him, “The NCDMB and Nedogas Limited, of which Xenergy Limited is a part, deserve praise for their tireless work and steadfast dedication to this admirable cause,” and that the collaboration “serves as evidence of the effectiveness of our local content policy, which seeks to increase the involvement of Nigerian businesses in the oil and gas industry while promoting local knowledge and capability.”
He said the country’s capacity to extract and use natural gas resources has been significantly boosted with the completion of Nedogas Plant, which will increase domestic supply and export potential, while generating jobs, “fostering industrial expansion, and ensuring energy security.”
The Kwale Gas Gathering Facility, he pointed out, solves a persistent environmental issue as it captures associated gas that would otherwise be vented and thus turn a potentially waste product into a useful resource. The “Decade of Gas” plan of the Federal Government, he observed, is being promoted in the two projects of Nedogas.
In concluding, he enjoined all to note that “it is essential that we keep enhancing the collaborations amongst all parties involved as we progress,” while assuring that “the Ministry of Petroleum Resources (Gas) is still dedicated to helping programs that improve local content, promote investments, develop capacity, and give Nigerians opportunity.”
In his Strategic Partner Remark, the Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said the achievement recorded by the Board and Nedogas represents “a triumph of partnership and shared vision” and “confirms that the Government, the private sector and local communities can collaborate effectively to bring value to the economy.”
He assured that “NCDMB remains committed to fostering such collaborations and creating an enabling environment for investments” and that the Board is equally proud of strategic projects it is developing in partnership with other chain investors in the last 10 years. These, he noted, “are geared towards actualising Federal Government’s policy direction.”
According to the Executive Secretary, the KGG Facility and Nedogas Plant are not only infrastructural achievements but also serve as catalysts for local content development and job creation, among other things.
“Looking ahead,” he reaffirmed, “NCDMB will continue to support similar initiatives that promote local content, drive economic growth, and improve the quality of life of Nigerians.”
The Delta State Governor, Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, represented by his Deputy, Chief Monday John Onyeme, expressed happiness that his state is playing host to such an important project which would address the energy needs of Nigerians.
He said the economic importance of the KGG Facility and Nedogas Plant would be best appreciated if placed within the context of the energy crisis in the country. Citing World Bank statistics, he stated that power supply is so poor that companies spend as much as $29 billion yearly to remain in business, and that “the country is ranked as the lowest in terms of access to electricity globally.”
For his part, the Commission Chief Executive (CCE), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Gbenga Komolafe, said the inauguration of the cutting-edge Facility and Plant represents a pivotal milestone for NCDMB and Nedogas.
According to the CCE, represented by Chief Ogunnubi Olusegun, Regional Coordinator of the Commission, “By pushing the boundaries of energy production capacity, you are setting a commendable standard for others to aspire to.”
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman of Nedogas, Mr. Emeka C. Ene, expressed appreciation to partners in the two projects that had contributed to the success being celebrated at the commissioning ceremony. He was particularly impressed with NCDMB’s strategic capacity development initiatives under successive Managements, from Simbi Wabote to Felix Omatsola Ogbe.
He said the KGG Facility and Nedogas Plant “align perfectly with the ‘Decade of Gas’ initiative which the Federal Government has continued to promote, noting that the location of the KGG hub, being close to the Delta State Industrial Park, would significantly enhance economic activities and development of the state.”
The location, he explained, is also strategic as the Facility would serve as a home, a collection point, to gas from different operating fields. According to him, “All the stranded gas in the area is to be harnessed for the benefit of the people.”
On the wider significance of the KGG Facility, he noted: “This is a modular plant; it can be replicated 10 times over,” and that similar facilities need to be developed to deal with the 140 flare sites in the oil-producing areas.
Key Project Drivers, as the company explains in its official brochure, are Stranded Gas, Proximity to Market, Evacuation Pipeline, Gas Development and Socio-economic Benefits. In regard to the first above the company states, “Natural gas stranded in OML (oil mining lease) 56 (Kwale area) due to absence of evacuation pipeline,” while noting under Gas Development that “A unique gas development opportunity exists for cluster members using shared facilities to leverage on gas network.”
Shelter Afrique Development Bank’s (ShafDB) 43rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled to take place from June 11 to 13, 2024, in Kigali, Rwanda, is expected to consolidate the institution’s transformation agenda.
Shelter Afrique Development Bank Managing Director, Thierno Habib Hann
In a landmark decision at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held in October 2023 in Algiers, Algeria, shareholders approved the institution’s revised Articles of Association, elevating the pan-African housing and urban development finance institution into a dynamic development bank.
Speaking at a media briefing in Nairobi ahead of the AGM, Shelter Afrique Development Bank Managing Director, Thierno Habib Hann, said this year’s AGM is crucial in redefining and redirecting the institution.
“This Year’s AGM will serve as an ushering step in solidifying Shelter Afrique Development Bank transformation journey,” Mr. Hann said.
The transformation will align Shelter Afrique with international standards, giving it a leading position among housing financiers and placing it on a par with comparable Development Finance Institutions (DFIs).
It will also enable the institution to expand its spheres of operation to include mobilization of funds for climate change resilient housing projects, initiatives in favour of home ownership by women and women working in the construction sector, as well as the financing of SMEs, trade in the real estate sector, migrants & refugees and diaspora housing projects, among other areas of interest.
“The impact of this transformation will be seen in concrete measures such as increased financing and construction of housing units, and improved access to decent, sustainable and affordable housing,” Mr. Hann stated.
Affordable Housing Finance Value Chain
The AGM, under the theme: “Sustainable Partnerships in the Affordable Housing Finance Value Chain”, will bring together key stakeholders, including shareholders of the 44 Member States, institutional shareholders (the African Development Bank, Africa-Re), policymakers, financial institutions, and development partners, to discuss and strategise on advancing the affordable housing agenda in Africa.
“This year’s theme is important because the housing sector in Africa is intricately linked to partnerships in the region, influenced by various stakeholders throughout the housing value chain. Understanding these dynamics is essential for addressing the challenges and opportunities in providing affordable and sustainable housing for all,” Mr. Hann concluded.
As the world marked the World Environment Day on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, the Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD), a human and environmental rights-focused group based in Abia State and Climate & Sustainable Development Network (CSDevNet) Southeast Zone, joined the rest of the world to mark the annual observance.
Malam Balarabe Lawal, Minister of Environment
As an environmental rights advocacy group, FENRAD/CSDevNet envisions a fuller and livable world whose ecosystem carries all lives and supports biodiversity. This, according to Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, Executive Director, FENRAD and Southeast Zonal Coordinator, CSDevNet, should remain a resolute commitment in spite of all the mounting challenges.
The Foundation therefore calls on state and non-state parties, including signatories to protocols, pacts, conventions and agreements on environmental rights and protection to raise the bar of enlightenment to environmental issues as lives on the planet depend on them.
Though a programme of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) observed for the first time in 1973, the World Environment Day creates platforms through which environmental campaigners, states and non-state parties come together to encourage environmental awareness and solutions that enhance Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Nwafor said: “This year’s theme is ideally crucial in many ways, especially for a state like Nigeria and all the subnationals thereof. With the slogan ‘Our land. Our future. We are #GenerationRestoration,’ the 2024 World Environment Day places a call on our humanity to ensure that ecosystem restoration is prioritised as a global initiative.
“Increasingly, the world’s topsoil and the physical spaces which harbour lives are shrinking daily. Desertification is at the core of this problem, occasioned by worsening climatic conditions – the result has always been pastoral conflict in Nigeria where the perennial farmer/herder clash over the control of land and, sometimes, water resource is recrudescent.”
According to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, up to 40 per cent of the planet’s land is degraded, directly affecting half of the world’s population. This shows the urgency of the need to take action, he added.
Nwafor noted: “FENRAD/CSDevNet calls on the federal, state and local governments, including all non-state actor groups in Nigeria to ensure that deforestation is drastically addressed through tree planting to ensure land restoration and also serve as a carbon sink mechanism, in line with the African Union’s Great Green Wall Project for which Nigeria promised to plant 25 million trees. Beyond merely advocating mitigation and adaptation, or decarbonisation of the transport sector by transitioning to CNG vehicles, the government should encourage reafforestation, replantation and revegetation as a way out of the deleterious disaster. This is the easiest thing to do.
“Lastly, FENRAD/CSDevNet calls on the Abia State Government to prioritise ecosystem restoration in its environmental regime. It is true that environmental sanitation in Abia State has improved significantly, managing the sector also should involve erosion control and checking of land degradation. Currently, there exist over 300 erosion sites in Abia with many of these sites at the margins of border communities.
“Should Abia fail to adopt restorative measures towards these gully heads, who knows, it could be losing land. This is an awareness that should diffuse to every part of the state to the point where everyone takes responsibility. To restore the ecosystem and put an end to land degradation is a goal whose agenda must be pursued by all.”
New guidelines to support African governments to improve food safety across the continent’s vast informal food sector are set to be developed for the first time.
John Oppong-Otoo, Food Safety Officer, African Union International Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR)
The African Union (AU) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) have joined forces to produce the first framework for addressing the unique challenges faced by a vital but often overlooked informal food sector.
Africa’s informal sector is critical for food security, employment, and livelihoods, particularly for the continent’s urban poor. Roughly 70 percent of Africa’s urban households buy food from informal markets, which includes street vendors, kiosks, and traditional market sellers, among others.
However, food safety in Africa’s domestic markets, including informal markets, has been historically neglected, or mismanaged. Some 90 million Africans become sick from foodborne illness every year, costing an estimated $16 billion in productivity losses. In comparison, the international community invests just $55 million per year in food safety projects on the continent.
The new guidelines seek to reflect the realities of African food systems to improve the ways in which African governments engage with the informal sector in their efforts to improve the safety of foods. Embracing and engaging with the informal food sector as a cornerstone of food systems transformation is likely to play a key role in the post-Malabo agenda.
“Food and nutrition security is a human right, and yet unsafe food undermines this right for millions of Africans every year,” said John Oppong-Otoo, Food Safety Officer, African Union International Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).
“We believe these new guidelines will provide realistic and practical guidance to help governments work with the informal sector and gradually transform it to safely and sustainably sustain the population.”
The draft guidelines have been developed following the AU’s continental-wide Food Safety Strategy for Africa, published in 2021 to encourage improvements in food safety management.
While compliance with food safety standards has improved in Africa’s exported goods, progress has been limited when it comes to the domestic informal sector, which is typically fragmented and under-resourced.
“Western approaches to improving food safety, which include compliance with strict requirements and involve complex documentation processes, are really only suited to the formal sector, which is regularised and has sufficient financial resources,” said Silvia Alonso, Senior Scientist Epidemiologist, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).
“The reality is most African consumers buy food from the informal sector, which requires different approaches for food safety management. With the right support, governments can unlock the informal food sector as a vehicle for healthy and safe foods for all, and a source of decent and dignified employment for men and women, especially youth, in Africa.”
The guidelines are informed by ILRI’s research and interventions for improved food safety across Africa. This has included a “push-pull” approach in Burkina Faso, which involved both food hygiene training for chicken grillers as well as awareness campaigns for consumers, and inclusive professionalization of the informal milk sector in Kenya through training and marketing.
The AU and ILRI will consult with informal sector actors and partners to help refine the guidelines from June 10. The consultation process with member states will continue throughout 2024 and 2025 before the framework is scheduled to be presented to the AU policy bodies for approval in 2025.
Across the globe, biodiversity is in peril with species facing extinction more than any other time in history. Biodiversity hotspots are the world’s most species-rich and threatened regions. There are 36 hotspots around the world, including the Guinean Forests of West Africa which covers about 621,705 square kilometres spanning 11 countries.
Guinea Forests of West Africa
Guinea Forests of West Africa biodiversity hotspot includes parts of Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea (Bioko and Annobón), and São Tomé and Príncipe.
The hotspot is home to a wide array of biodiversity including 9,000 species of plants, including 1,800 endemics, 416 mammal, 917 bird, 107 reptile and 269 amphibian species. In addition, the hotspot supports the livelihoods of millions of people in the region. However, the hotspot’s biodiversity is under threat due to land clearance for agriculture, over-hunting and mining as well as climate change. In the face of these threats, communities, civil society organisations and governments across the region are making efforts to stem the loss of habitats and species.
Support from the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund
Since 2001, the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), has been active in the Guinean Forests of West Africa, initially with an investment of $8.3 million from 2001- 2012, followed up by a $10 million investment from 2016-2022. The most recent investment programme, from 2016 to 2022, was based on an ecosystem profile that included an extensive analysis of key biodiversity areas (KBAs). The investment ended in 2022 with a detailed assessment of results and a Long-Term Vision, which together provide guidance on future investments.
The Ecosystem Profile
From 2025 to 2029 CEPF plans a new grant-making programme for the Guinea Forests of West Africa hotspot, with a total fund of between $4 million and $9 million, running from at least January 2025 to December 2029.
CEPF’s support starts with a design process, resulting in an ecosystem profile. The profile provides a snapshot of the conservation priorities in the hotspot, and the capacity of civil society to address these priorities. Beginning June 2024, BirdLife International will lead on the process of updating the ecosystem profile for the Guinea forests of West Africa (produced in 2015 in English and French). The update will consist of a range of stakeholder consultations and inputs from experts and aims at producing a new investment strategy (strategic directions and investment priorities) which will be the basis for grant-making in the region.
Pete Wood, Team Leader for the Ecosystem profile update, said: “CEPF’s vision is that civil society organisations across the region have the capacity and resources to lead effective conservation action, in the long-term. The ecosystem profile document will describe how CEPF support can help achieve that vision and guide the CEPF grant-making programme from 2025-2029. The process of updating the ecosystem profile is an opportunity for all stakeholders – governments, donors, and research institutions, as well as NGOs – to contribute information and ideas on how the CEPF can contribute to that vision.”
Tharcisse Ukizintambara, Interim Head of BirdLife Office, Dakar & Partnership and Capacity Development Coordinator, said: “Updating the Ecosystem profile, led by BirdLife and its partners, will be crucial for guiding conservation efforts in the Guinean Forests of the West Africa biodiversity hotspot. With increasing threats to biodiversity, a collaborative approach involving various stakeholders will be essential to address conservation challenges. Existing and new BirdLife partners, along with other identified civil society organisations, will benefit from CEPF grants and coaching sessions to enhance their organisational and programme implementation capabilities.’’
BirdLife International will contact many stakeholders in the region to ask for their input to the design process. Updates and information on how to participate will also be posted here.
Nigeria’s push to expand its Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) production could put the country in a precarious economic situation, prolonging its dependency on fossil fuels and leaving it with stranded assets as international demand for gas falls, according to new research by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).
Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Mr Ekperikpe Ekpo
With the IEA predicting international demand for natural gas will peak this decade amid global decarbonisation efforts, there is a “high likelihood” any scale-up of LNG production could leave Nigeria with unprofitable and abandoned assets, and reduce the available financing for clean energy sources, warns IISD’s brief A Balancing Act: Considerations for the expansion of liquified natural gas projects in Nigeria.
The paper also found that Nigerian LNG exports may struggle to compete in the global market after 2030, while replacing oil revenues with LNG may not generate the expected income.
Bathandwa Vazi, policy advisor at IISD, said: “Nigeria’s LNG dash is short-term thinking that could end up costing the country dearly. Economic diversification away from fossil fuels is critical in building a sustainable future for the country, not locking in further dependence on polluting commodities.
“Nigeria is already up against bigger players in the LNG market, and new LNG developments take 8–10 years to produce gas. As international demand for gas peaks, Nigeria must recognise that a fossil fuel-based economy cannot carry it far into the future.”
Facing declining oil revenues, economic turmoil following the COVID-19 pandemic, and inflated European demand for LNG following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Nigeria has moved to address its revenue shortfall by significantly scaling up LNG production.
Oil revenues have long underpinned the Nigerian Treasury, accounting for about two-thirds of government earnings and 90% of its foreign exchange income. However, as production has fallen due to lower levels of investment and regional unrest, there is renewed focus on LNG, which provides considerably smaller, albeit growing, revenues. In 2023, LNG revenues reached N74 billion ($51 million), accounting for around 7% of total government revenues.
As of 2022, Nigeria was already the sixth-largest LNG exporter worldwide, with a 6% market share. As oil contributes less to revenues, the government plans to build on its existing LNG developments, with ministers declaring 2021–2030 “the decade of gas”.
Currently, Nigeria has six operational LNG terminals; nine more are proposed, with LNG construction investment totalling N28.3 trillion ($18.5 billion).
But to replace Nigeria’s falling oil revenues, LNG exports would still have to increase “by an order of magnitude,” IISD experts say. Such a scenario would require sustained international demand and high prices for LNG.
Meanwhile, the assets planned would be operating far beyond the middle of this century. The eventual transition to a low-carbon world, expected to accelerate after 2030, could leave LNG assets stranded as demand dries up.
Underscoring this, the researchers note that Carbon Tracker projects a 69% reduction in Nigeria’s fossil fuel revenues over the next two decades if global energy trends shift toward a low-carbon pathway.
Instead of investing overzealously in the fossil fuel economy, Nigeria “must manage its gas ambitions realistically, align with transition plans, and prioritize community development in gas projects,” the paper’s authors write.
Electricity access challenges can be met by adding more sustainable and affordable energy sources into the energy mix, and LNG expansion “should not come at the expense of addressing inequality, energy access, and socio-economic challenges,” the paper says.
Nnimmo Bassey, Executive Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), said: “As governments around the world pursue climate targets, it will become increasingly prudent for countries heavily dependent on fossil fuel exports to reconfigure their economies with full recognition of this trend. While increasing LNG production may boost Nigeria’s revenues in the short term, it will only serve to position the country to end up with stranded assets, damaged communities and continued dependence on oil and gas exports.
“Nigeria’s drive for expanded LNG investment is happening at a time when several African countries are being pushed in the same direction basically to meet temporarily inflated European demand. Nigeria will delay the necessary move away from climate-altering fossil fuels and end up fighting for a share of the vanishing market.”
Babawale Obayanju, communications manager, ERA/FoEN, said: “LNG production in Nigeria has proven to serve European, and Asian markets over the people who are plundered and exploited. Exploring more gas would only mean more floods, drought, increased heat waves, and other climate change impacts rather than providing energy for the over 80 million Nigerians who still lack access to electricity. Rather than exploit more fossil fuels, the government must fund locally led, socially owned and people-centered renewable projects.”
Rep. Sam Onuigbo, sponsor of Nigeria’s Climate Change Act, and former Member of the Nigerian House of Representatives, said: “The idea of using gas as a transition fuel is critical to Nigeria’s net zero transition efforts. First, it will help reduce our GHG emissions and provide short-term revenue for a gradual and just phase-out of our dependence on fossil fuels. But we must be smart about this and keep a finger on the pulse of international movements towards net zero transitions and the impact on potential gas revenue.
“It is therefore important to have a proper plan which takes into account the global net zero scenario, the possibility of being left with stranded assets, and thus ensures that we limit investments into LNG and have a fixed date for moving away from it completely.”
Nnaemeka Oruh, Focal Point Administrator of GLOBE Legislators International & National Coordinator, GLOBE Nigeria, said: “While on the surface, it appears that Nigeria’s decision to use LNG as a bridge fuel to her transition, it simply does not appear logical and sustainable. This is primarily because of global clamour for the transition to clean energy sources and the phasing out of fossil fuels. With a great deal of the gas infrastructure still being built, it follows that by the time the country would want to explore this source, global demand for gas would have started plummeting. It is therefore certain that the country would be left with stranded assets if it continues on this path. It will simply lead to a cul-de-sac.”
The IISD is an independent think tank working to accelerate solutions for a stable climate, sustainable resource management, and fair economies.
Pregnant women, newborns, children, adolescents and older people are facing serious health complications due to climate change, according to a new collection of papers published in the Journal of Global Health, and yet the specific needs of these groups have been largely neglected in the climate response.
School children
The articles document the available scientific evidence on the health impacts of different climate hazards at key life stages, from heatwaves to air pollution and natural disasters like wildfires and flooding. Together, they show that climate-related health risks have been crucially underestimated for younger and older people and during pregnancy, with serious, often life-threatening implications.
Taking extreme heat as an example, the authors note that preterm births – the leading cause of childhood deaths – spike during heatwaves, while older people are more likely to suffer heart attacks or respiratory distress. Each additional 1°C in minimum daily temperature over 23.9°C has been shown to increase the risk of infant mortality by as much as 22.4%.
“These studies show clearly that climate change is not a distant health threat, and that certain populations are already paying a high price,” said Dr Anshu Banerjee, Director of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing at the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“While awareness of climate change has increased, actions to safeguard the lives of those at most risk has barely scratched the surface of what’s needed. For climate justice to be achieved, this must be urgently redressed,” added Banerjee.
Authored by experts from WHO and academics from around the world, the collection, titled “Climate change across the lifecourse”, reports a number of specific physical and mental health impacts that arise due to different climate hazards. For example:
High temperatures are associated with adverse birth outcomes, primarily preterm birth and stillbirth, as well as hypertension and gestational diabetes in pregnancy. Heatwaves affect cognitive function and therefore learning for children and adolescents, while increasing heart attacks and respiratory complications among older people.
Ambient air pollution increases the likelihood of high blood pressure during pregnancy, low birth weight, preterm birth, and negative impacts on foetal brain and lung development. It raises risk of respiratory illness among children and older people, who also face greater risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and pneumonia.
Climate-related natural disasters have significant mental and physical health impacts. Flooding and drought reduce access to safe water and food supplies, increasing diarrhoeal diseases and malnutrition. Wildfires have been shown to increase respiratory disorders and cardiovascular mortality rates for older people.
While climate change affects everyone, climate-related displacements and disruptions have severe consequences for those needing regular access to health services and social support. Infants and older people as well as pregnant women may have particular physiological risk factors, such as difficulties with temperature regulation, vulnerability to dehydration, and/or weaker immune systems. They also face disproportionate impacts from the indirect effects of climate change and related disasters, like food and water shortages and spikes in vector and water-borne diseases.
“A healthy environment underpins health throughout life, enabling healthy growth and development in childhood and adolescence, healthy pregnancies and healthy ageing,” said Anayda Portela, Scientist at WHO and an author on the papers. “There is an urgent need to mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to build climate resilience; to take specific actions that protect health at these various life stages, and to ensure continuity of health services for those most at risk when climate disasters occur.”
By documenting the health impacts of different climate hazards for particular populations, the researchers aim to help governments and programmes address risks and plan to take action. Currently, few climate adaptation measures are tailored for the specific needs of women, infants, children and adolescents, the authors note, as well as older people who may have mobility and cognitive constraints.
Measures should include preparing childcare, social care and educational systems for extreme weather events and rising temperatures, the articles note, as well as engaging people of all ages in climate action, dialogue, and planning.
2023 was the warmest year on record in over 170 years, and there were multiple climate emergencies from wildfires to cyclones, flooding, and extreme heat.
In a message from the Nigerian Environmental Study/Action Team (NEST) Secretariat to commemorate the 2024 World Environment Day themed “Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought”, the group insists that the theme paves the way to a sustainable future, and serves as a call for commitment at all levels to address desertification and drought
Desertification
World Environment Day 2024 shines a spotlight on pressing global challenges of land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience. As climate change intensifies, these challenges have become critical to ensuring food security, biodiversity, and sustainable livelihoods. Desertification and land degradation affect nearly one-third of the world’s land area, impacting over 250 million people directly and threatening the livelihoods of more than one billion people in over 100 countries.
These challenges are also exacerbated by unsustainable land use practices, including deforestation, unwholesome farming practices and poor waste management, thus leading to reduced agricultural productivity, food insecurity, and loss of biodiversity.
Efforts to combat land degradation and restore ecosystems are gaining momentum globally. First, is the UNCCD’s call to integrate Land Degradation Neutral (LDN) into relevant sectoral policies, development plans and programs in order to create an enabling environment for investment opportunities, especially on land. And benefits envisaged include: enhancing land productivity, addressing climate change issues, promoting poverty reduction, creating green jobs, facilitating the resolution of land-use-based conflicts, reducing environmental migration, and achieving food, water, energy and human securities.
Another notable initiative is the African Great Green Wall, which aims to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land across 11 countries in the Sahel by 2030. This ambitious project not only aims to halt the advance of the Sahara Desert but also improve food security and create millions of jobs. By implementing sustainable land management practices, several projects have restored vegetation, improved soil health, and increased agricultural yields, demonstrating the potential for large-scale ecological restoration.
Drought resilience is crucial for communities vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Innovative water management practices, such as rainwater harvesting, efficient irrigation techniques, and drought-resistant crop varieties, are key to enhancing resilience. For instance, the use of “Zai pits” in Burkina Faso has significantly improved water retention and crop yields in arid regions.
Some research and initiatives demonstrate innovative approaches and strategies that offer hope and actionable solutions. For instance, integrating traditional knowledge with modern technologies can provide sustainable solutions. Indigenous practices, such as agroforestry and polyculture, combined with modern forecasting tools, help communities adapt to changing climatic conditions and reduce vulnerability to droughts.
Effective land restoration and drought resilience require supportive policies and active community engagement. Policies promoting sustainable land use, providing financial incentives for restoration projects, and supporting research and innovation are essential. Additionally, engaging local communities in the planning and implementation of restoration projects ensures that interventions are culturally appropriate and sustainable.
As we celebrate the World Environment Day 2024, it is crucial to recognise the importance of land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience in achieving sustainable development. And noting that through innovative approaches, community engagement, and supportive policies, we can restore degraded lands, build resilience to climate change, and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.
In addition, recent initiatives and research have provided blueprints for success, highlighting the potential of combining traditional knowledge with modern technology and fostering global cooperation. So, by prioritising these efforts, we can turn the tide on land degradation and build a more resilient world through our individual local actions.
Rep. Sam Onuigbo, Member (South-East) Governing Board and Chairman, Committee on Security, Climate Change and Special Interventions, North-East Development Commission, in a keynote address delivered on the occasion of the commemoration of the World Environment Day at the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, while commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his leadership in taking far-reaching climate actions in the first year of his administration, called on Nigerians to engage in, and encourage eco-friendly practices to ensure that a more prosperous and sustainable future is secured for this and future generations
Rep. Sam Onuigbo
Today, Wednesday, June 5, 2024, is World Environment Day. The main aim of this commemoration is to “encourage communities to take action towards protecting the environment.’’ The objective is to advocate for policy changes and promote environmental policies at local, national, and international levels. For us gathered here at the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, and for others in their various villages, communities, and urban centers, today is a very important day in the lives of humans, animals, plants, seas and lands.
The theme of this year’s event, which focuses on “Land restoration, desertification and drought resilience,” is apt. This is because it seems as if it was razor-made to address the challenges of desertification, drought and the need to restore degraded land across 11 northern states covering about 1531 kilometers. The centrepiece of this theme led to the drying up of Lake Chad, forced migration, competition for scarce resources, security challenge and the resultant insurgency, banditry and kidnapping in that part of the country; a challenge that has has even spread to other parts of the nation.
Legal frameworks, and byelaws on environment and climate change actions in Nigeria, are generally predicated on the mandates of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Climate Change Act 2021, the Nigerian Constitution, etc. Climate Change, Biodiversity and Desertification Conventions were direct outcomes of Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, which are popularly referred to as the “Rio Triplets.’’
UNEP, was given the mandate “to provide leadership, deliver science and develop solutions on a wide range of issues, including climate change, the management of marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and green economy development.’’ Similarly, the UNFCCC which currently has 198 Parties was established by countries to combat, “dangerous human interference with the climate system.’’ The convention’s main objective as contained in its Article 2, is the “stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic (i.e, human-caused) interference with the climate system.” UNCCD, has 197 Parties.
It came about as a direct recommendation of the Rio Conference, as the only internationally legally binding framework set up to address the problem of desertification. It anchors its activities on good governance and sustainable development using the principles of participation, partnership and decentralisation. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG15) focuses on protecting, restoring and promoting the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems. It aims to combat desertification, and reverse land degradation, and prevent biodiversity loss.
The unwavering resolve of world leaders to tackle the devastating impacts of climate change produced the landmark Paris Agreement on Climate Change at COP21 in Paris, in December 2015, that set long term goals to guide all nations to reduce global greenhouse gas emission as to limit the global temperature increase to (2°C) while pursuing efforts to limit the increase even further to 1.5°C pre-industrial level. The Agreement came into force on November 04, 2016, and is a legally binding international treaty.
Locally, Section 20 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), states: “The state shall protect and improve the environment and safeguard the water, air and land, forest and wildlife of Nigeria.” Furthermore, Section 33 (1) of the Constitution states that “every person has a right to life, and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life, save in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria.’’
One thing is clear: Without a safe and peaceful planet, everyone is endangered. It was therefore in a bid to achieve international obligations that the Paris Agreement and other conventions like the “Rio Triplets’’ set to ensure a safe and productive environment for the good of humanity that Nigeria enacted the Climate Change Act 2021.
Under Part 1 – Objectives and Application – the Climate Change Act 2021, which I was privileged to sponsor in the Nigerian Parliament, stipulates in section 1: “This Act provides a framework for achieving low greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, inclusive green growth…by mainstreaming climate change actions in line with national development priorities.’’
Specifically, sections 3, 19, 20, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 34, among others, of the Act recognise the importance of protecting the environment and preserving the planet and the urgent need to do it, and accordingly made relevant provisions to guide Nigeria’s climate actions in attaining the above objectives while meeting international objections. Section 3 of the Act provides for the establishment of the National Council on Climate Change (The Council) and vests it with the “powers to make policies and decisions on all matters concerning climate change in Nigeria.’’
To “encourage communities to take action towards protecting the environment’’ explains why we included in section 26 that, “the Secretariat shall, with the approval of the Council, advise the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) responsible for regulating educational curriculum in Nigeria on the integration of Climate Change into the various disciplines and subjects across all educational levels.”
In line with the above provision in Section 26 for “the integration of climate change into the various disciplines and subjects across all educational levels,’’ Section 22 mandates every MDA to have a Climate Change Desk Officer of a Directorate cadre whose responsibility it is to ensure that climate action is mainstreamed into the annual plans and budgeting of all MDAs in Nigeria. This provision will create employment for qualified Nigerians.
According to Prof Chiedozie Egesi, this commemoration “serves as a platform for fostering environmental action and engaging communities in sustainable living.’’ This is precisely why we provided in section 30 of the Act for extensive public engagement.
Section 27 states that the “Council (National Council on Climate Change) shall promote and adopt nature-based solutions towards reducing GHG emissions and mitigating climate change issues in Nigeria.” Nature-based solutions, especially, is the sustainable management and use of natural processes to address certain challenges without impacting nature. Nature, which comprises forest, water, land, air is home to all the world’s terrestrial and aquatic life providing shelter and livelihood for earth’s human and animal population. For example, restoring mangroves along coastlines uses (nature-based) solutions to achieve several goals.
Similarly, section 28 (1) states: “The Federal Ministry responsible for Environment shall set up a registry with sub-national nodes for capturing REDD+ activities in Nigeria…explaining in subsection (2) that ‘REDD+’ means Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks.
The Africa Great Green Wall, which was formed in 2005 and adopted in 2007 by the Africa Union, focused on combating desertification in the Sahel and Sahara and hold back the expansion of Sahara Desert by planting a wall of trees stretching across the entire Sahel from Djibouti to Dakar Senegal, covering 11 countries in Africa. In Nigeria, 11 states in the Northwest and Northeast regions are affected by this huge threat. That is why Nigeria established the National Great Green Wall to combat the threat by desertification, engage in land restoration, etc. The ongoing goal of the project is to restore 100 million hectares (250 million across) of degraded land and captured 250 million tonnes of carbon dioxide and create 10 million jobs in the process all by 2030.
President Bola Tinubu in his opinion piece published by CNN in December 2023, declared: “Africa’s most populous nation has successfully mobilised tens of thousands of youths nationwide to plant 250,000 trees annually to honour a pledge to plant 25 million trees by 2030 as we build our great green wall to fight back against encroaching desert across the northern region of our nation.’’
Section 29 (1) The Act provides that “the Council shall collaborate with and equip the National Bureau of Statistics for developing Nigeria’s Natural Capital Accounts. Subsection (2) states that “the data from the Natural Capital Accounts shall be made available to MDAs (Ministries, Departments and Agencies), and used in policy formulation and development of Action Plan, in the carbon budget.”
The International Institute for sustainable Development submits that: natural capital is the land, air, water, living organisms and all formations of the Earth’s biosphere that provide us with the ecosystem goods and service imperative for survival and well-being. Dr Eugene Itua maintains that the principles of Natural Capital Accounting provide “win-win-win’’- a triple-win situation because it “not only facilitates economic growth but also safeguards the environment and promotes the welfare of individuals. This is evidenced by the harmonious coexistence of ecotourism, agriculture, and groundwater recharge, all of which benefit from informed decision-making based on NCA data.’’
With sections 19 and 20 of the Act, Nigeria has demonstrated leadership in Africa with the establishment of the National Council on Climate Change, vested with powers to establish and operationalise a market-based mechanism for Nigeria’s participation in the global carbon market, In essence, the Act has provided a legal framework for the reduction of greenhouse gas emission through a carbon market approach to meet Nigeria’s net-zero target.
Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement addresses voluntary cooperation between and among countries by enabling trade in mitigation outcomes (GHGs reduced or avoided) to achieve the emission reduction targets in their NDCs.
As a way of demonstrating Nigeria’s readiness to participate in the Carbon markets and related initiatives, the NCCC in June 2023 published the first regulatory guidance.
In furtherance of the above, President Tinubu exercised leadership by flagging off the Nigeria Carbon Market Activation Plan at COP28 in December 2023, by appointing Zacch Adedeji, Chairman of FIRS, and Salisu Dahiru, the DG of NCCC, to Co-chair the Committee.
Net Zero 2060: Part of the approaches to achieve net zero by 2060 is to focus the Paris Agreement 1.5 Celsius pathway and deploy electric vehicles, renewable and clean cooking for a significant percentage of our population.
Tools for Realising Net-zero Target
One of the routes towards Nigeria’s goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2060 was through the introduction of the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan in 2022, which emphasised curtailing emissions in five key sectors – power, cooking, oil and gas, transport and industry. Together, these sectors contribute about 65% of the nation’s total GHG emissions.
As part of the coordinated and sustained effort to attain Nigeria’s net-zero targets as contained in Section 1(f) and the Presidential pledge at COP26, the Minister of Environment unveiled the Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) in December 2023 at COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Therefore, the NDC-Implementation framework is an important national tool to support the advancement towards the realization of the vision.
On May 23, 2024, Nigeria, along with our NDC-Partnership, launched the Nationally Determined Contributions Implementation Framework (NDC-IF) 2023-2030. Article 4, section 2 of the Paris Agreement on the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) states as follows: “Each party shall prepare, communicate and maintain successive nationally determined contributions that it needs to achieve. Parties shall pursue domestic mitigation measures, with the aim of achieving the objectives of such contributions.’’
Nigeria’s NDC updated in 2021 retained its unconditional contribution of 20% below business-as-usual by 2030, and increased condition Contribution to 47% on international support it covers the key prioritised sector of Agriculture, Energy, Forestry, and Other Land Use (FOLU), Industrial Processes and Product Use (IPPU), Oil and Gas, Transport, Waste and Water.
As stated earlier, “Nigeria’s NDC-IF is a medium-term tool to help coordinate, monitor, mobilise, and stack progress on support for investments needed to achieve the country’s NDC goals. It breaks down the 8 sectors (and cross-cutting components) into 19 outcomes and 151 outputs and 301 key performance indicators (KPIs).’’
For purposes of reference, out of the 19 outcomes, 151 outputs and 301 indicators set out in the NDC-IF for Nigeria to be attained over a period of seven years (2023-2030), a few of the aims are clearly captured in outcomes 6 and 12 under the agricultural sector; and outcome 7 under the FOLU (Forestry and Other Land Use).
Under the agriculture sector, the aim of outcome 6 is to “improve the use of smart agriculture and enhance agricultural produce, revolutionise agricultural practices, enhance climate smart agriculture, livelihood opportunities, and promote environment conservation within the agricultural sector.”
Similarly, outcome 12 seeks to “improve agriculture: invest in critical infrastructure, improve transportation works, upgrade storage facilities, and provide farmers with essential resources for efficient and environmentally friendly agricultural operations to boost agricultural productivity, streamline supply chains and promote climate smart farming practices.’’
Under the FOLU sector, outcome 7: Enhance sustainable forest management. It aims to “preserve biodiversity, restore degraded areas, promote communities’ involvement, and safeguard the health and resilience of forest Eco-systems for future generations.’’
Under cross-cutting actions: outcome 17: “Sustainable management and use of natural asset, seeks to “enhance the sustainable utilisation of natural resources, monitor greenhouse gas emissions, encourage environmentally friendly urban development practices, and effectively account for natural capital to support informed decision-making for long-term environmental sustainability and conservation of natural assets.
Clearly, the NDC-IF can serve as a powerful national blueprint for investment on climate-development action in the country. According to Mariam Panuncio-Feldman, Country Engagement Director, “The actions, prioritised in the framework, have been costed out. The full implementation of NDC has been estimated at $189 Billion, and while considerable funding has been mobilised, a very significant funding gap remains. The effort is massive, and Nigeria cannot meet this challenge alone.’’
Summary
The Africa Heads of State and Government in the presence of global leaders and high-level representatives on 6 September 2023 in Nairobi Kenya at the inaugural Africa Climate Summit (ACS), recalled that only seven years remained to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, and noted with concern that 600 million people in Africa still lack access to electricity while 970 million lack access to clean cooking:
In a world grappling with climate change, clean energy plays a vital role in reducing emissions, and can also benefit communities lacking access to reliable power sources. The connection between clean energy, socio-economic development and environmental sustainability is crucial in addressing issues, be it poverty, illiteracy, health, etc faced by vulnerable communities worldwide.
Nigeria has taken clear steps towards addressing lack of access to electricity and clean cooking through the movement of electricity from the Exclusive List to Concurrent List and the subsequent enactment of the Electricity Act 2023, which was signed into law by President Tinubu about 10 days after assumption of office. In addition, the Federal Executive Council in early April 2024 approved a National Policy on Clean Cooking.
One thing has been established beyond doubt: Climate Change is borderless and affects everybody. The intendment of section 34 of the Act on locus standi was profoundly reaffirmed by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in Centre of Oil Pollution Watch (COPW) Vs NNPC (2018).
The Supreme Court of Nigeria (SCN) held: That the appellant NGO had the standing to sue the respondent, thereby liberalising or broadening the rule of standing. The Supreme Court specifically highlighted “that public spirited individuals and organisations can bring an action in courts against relevant public authorities and private entities to demand their compliance with relevant laws and to ensure the remediation, restoration and protection of the environment.”
With all the severe and unpredictable weather events like tornadoes, wildfires, excessive heat waves, floods, landslides, desertification, drought, etc, we do not need anyone to educate us that our planet is badly threatened. The massive landslide which hit the remote village of Kaokalam in Papua New Guinea and reportedly buried over 2,000 villagers in their sleep, the ceaseless tornadoes in the US, mid-air storms that hit two major international airlines recently: Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways, show that urgent actions are needed. The Singapore Airlines turbulence led to the death of a passenger, and injured over 100 others, some critically. These are but ready examples that nobody is isolated or safe from the ravages of climate change.
Here in Nigeria, there are devastating impacts from desertification, floods, gully, and coastal erosion leading to loss of assets worth billions of US Dollars and several deaths. According to World Bank’s assessment of Nigeria’s 2022, flooding incident, the direct economic damage was estimated around $7 billion, excluding lives lost. These deadly occurrences are stark reminders that we are living in dangerous times. The cumulative impacts and global disruption caused by these extreme weather events support the call that collaborative and coordinated efforts by all are required to protect our planet.
Conclusion
Addressing these environmental and developmental challenges requires a multifaceted effort involving all tiers of government, the private sector and the civil society organisations. I respectfully urge all hands to be on deck for us to tackle the devastating impacts of these existential threats, I commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who has clearly exercised leadership by taking many far-reaching and positive climate actions in the first year of his administration.
I therefore call on everybody to engage in, and encourage eco-friendly practices, as this will in turn ensure that a more prosperous and sustainable future is secured for this and future generations.
