The Federal Government has called on state governments to enhance their capacity to respond promptly to floods and other climate-related disasters.
Mr. Chris Ngwodo, Director-General of the Office for Strategic Preparedness and Resilience, made this appeal at the Youth Pre-Conference of Nigeria Health Watch’s Future of Health Conference in Abuja on Wednesday, October 23, 2024.
Ngwodo emphasised that capacity deficits at the state level must be addressed, with the Federal Government providing support.
He advocated for proactive and reactive measures, including evacuating flood-prone areas and investing in climate-resilient infrastructure.
“The government will provide alerts and forecasts on heavy rainfall and changing patterns that may trigger flooding.
“Climate change severely impacts Nigeria, with rising sea levels in the south causing flooding and drought and desertification in the north,” he said.
Ngwodo encouraged youth involvement by familiarising themselves with national policies and legislation addressing climate issues.
Dr Omokhudu Idogho of the Society for Family Health noted that climate mitigation and adaptation yield significant health benefits, outweighing costs.
He emphasised climate change’s social, health, and economic implications and its status as a children’s rights emergency.
Nigeria Health Watch’s Managing Director, Mrs. Vivianne lhekweazu, highlighted climate change’s devastating impact on community health across Africa.
She stressed the importance of involving young people in the conversation, leveraging their powerful voices to drive change.
According to her, the rising temperatures, shifting weather patterns, and increasing natural disasters are exacerbating health vulnerabilities.
These, she said, were through the spread of infectious diseases, food and water insecurity, or strain on the already fragile health systems.
She, however, said that the youth conference was to bring young people into the conversation because they would be disproportionately impacted by its effects.
“Young people have a very powerful voice that is not constrained by finances and those voices have to be used because other countries have used youth voices to lead to change.
“People are creating apps to track changing weather patterns. How are we using that to inform policy,” she asked.
The Nigeria Health Watch is a not-for-profit health communication and advocacy organisation that seeks to advocate for better health for Nigerians.
By Folasade Akpan
