Some civil society organisations (CSOs) have expressed commitment to support government to effectively address environmental challenges in the country.
The coalition made the commitment at a one-day Consultative Workshop on the “Nigeria Climate Change Act” on Friday, December 17, 2021 in Abuja.
Mr David Terugwa, Executive Director, Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP), said that the organisations were ready to partner with the government to addressing climate change and other environmental challenges.
The organisations include the Nigeria Civil Society Framework on Paris Agreement and the SDGs (NCSFPAS), GIFSEP, Climate and Sustainable Network (CSDevNet), Women Environmental Programmes (WEP), and the Gender and Environmental Initiative (GERI).
”For us, we are looking at those areas where we can come in and assist and to be partners with the government.
“We are very happy with the government for taking the bold step to sign the Climate Change Bill to law.
“It is a bold step that will help to combat climate change in Nigeria, so we are here not just celebrating but we are here to look at the law itself and see how best we can be part of it.
“Also, how we can step it down to the state and local communities, as we know that most things are being done at the federal level.
“At the state, we believed that many people don’t even know that climate change has become law and so we hope that all the other states governments can also domesticate the law as it should be.
“Climate change affects everyone not just in Abuja, even in the states so the need to domesticate the law as soon as possible is important.
“We know that our economy is already affected by the environmental challenges, in one way or the other but in as much as we are looking at the best ways to tackle it the country can be changed.
“Yes, for Nigeria to get to net zero in 2060, it will be a process, it cannot happen at once, it is going to take a while,’’ he said.
Terugwa said the organisations were advocating climate justice globally, adding that it would enhance in the implementation of proposals to address environmental challenges in the country.
He added that the organisations want a resilience that would drastically change the economy, adding that farmers in most communities were suffering the impact of the climate change.
“So, in building the resilience then, it will enhance huge opportunities and such climate crises can be addressed effectively.’’
Mr Pius Oko, Project Lead, CSDevNet, said that the aim of the workshop was to support the government and other stakeholders in the implementation of the law.
“We are here today to make a step forward. We want to first highlight the issues that concern the impact in climate change and have a tangible solution to such problems.
“The workshop is also to have an understanding of the law and to serve as a framework that will channel the process,’’ he said.
Mrs Anne-Marie Abaogu, Executive Director, WEP, said that the workshop was a stakeholders’ meeting to discuss some of the ways to address the impact of climate change and channel a way forward.
Abaogu said that CSOs were set to develop a partnership that would implement framework to reverse the ugly trend of climate change in the country.
