The University of Abuja and Global Initiative for Food Security, Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP) have called on all tiers of government and relevant stakeholders to intensify more effort to implement the Climate Change Act.
Executive Director of GIFSEP, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Mr David Michael, made the call at a Consultative Workshop on the Climate Change Act, on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, in Abuja.
President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Climate Change Bill into law in November 2021.
The Act paves the way for environmental and economic accounting and a push for a net zero emission deadline plan in the country.
Michael said that the government at all levels and other relevant stakeholders should collaborate to galvanise support for effective monitoring and implementation of the Act.
He said that the aim of the workshop is to discuss among the environmental stakeholders, analyse and interpret the clauses of the Act.
He said that National Council on Climate Change was established to make policies and decisions on all matters concerning climate change in the country.
He added that the council had state and zonal offices across the country, adding that the effort was for the effective implementation of the Act.
According to him, “today we are gathered to look into the Act as passed by our President in November. We want to know where we are at the moment.
“As an individual, as a country, climate change affects all of us and if we have an Act that is aim at getting climate impact, the implementation of that Act should be effective.
“We are here to look at the Act, break it down, simplify it and understand it further so that we can know how best to engage the government.
“The implementation of the Act should intensify because 2023 election is around the corner, so no one knows what will happen after the election.
“The energy the government has with the signing of Paris Agreement, attending all COPs and committed in the passage of the bill into law, should also continue in the implementation of the Act,” he said.
Michael said that the government at all levels as well as the relevant stakeholders should put more effort through engaging on programmes that would provide strategies for strong implementation of the Act.
He said that climate change adaptation and litigation required huge resources and technology.
The executive director, however, urged Nigerians and other international organisations to support the Federal Government in the implementation of the Act, for a healthy and cleaner environment.
Prof. Hassan Shuaibu, Director, Centre for Environmental Studies, University of Abuja, said that the effective implementation of the Act would help solve environmental problems to a very large extent.
“We are calling on all relevant stakeholders to join hands and support for a strong implementation of the Act.
“The major objective of this Act, if effectively implemented, is numerous and Nigerians will benefit a lot. It will help reduce heat to a bearable medium in our environment.
“The implementation will help to restore the degenerated environment and farm lands into a friendly one,” he said.
The director called on stakeholders to engage in tree planting and desist from any activity that would damage the environment.
By Vivian Emoni
