Nigeria Needs To Take Climate Change Seriously

By Dauda Mistura

There is a change in the human environment that is drastically ending lives and taking peoples’ means of livelihood from them. Over the past decade sea level has risen, temperature is increasing and weather is changing rapidly across the globe. All as a result of human activities like fossil fuel burning and deforestation which increase heat-trapping greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere.

In order to contain this, various countries in the world are doing a lot of research into creating various renewable energies to provide cleaner air and a sustainable environment for their citizens.

Like every other thing, Nigeria is lagging behind in providing a quick solution to its climate crisis, despite its numerous environmental problems.

According to the 2020 global research of Hongkong and Shanghai banking corporation limited (HSBC) on climate change, Nigeria is listed among top five countries that are vulnerable to climate change in the world.

What lands Nigeria on the list includes:

· Most facilities release air pollutants

· Water scarcity; land metrics and extreme weather data pulls Nigeria down on physical climate risks

· Lower ranking in government effectiveness and rule of law

Lagos heavy rain meets terrible urban planning and an incompetent government. For a mega city, Lagos drainage system is an absolute joke. Most of the gutters are open, releasing an unpleasant stench into the air and the gutters are always blocked with dirt, particularly plastic and this is as a result of the state not having a proper waste disposal system. The mega city is surrounded by water and the sea level keeps rising. According to a Reuters article in 2008 “in fifty years with a one meter sea level rise two million to three million Lagosians would be homeless and by the end of a century we will have two meters rise and by then the whole of Lagos would be gone”.

Soot is an environmental hazard that is in the air in the oil producing city of Portharcourt. Whenever it is cloudy in the city, it is not rain, rather it is black soot all over the city inhaled by everyone as a result of various oil producing processes like oil and condensate spills, gas flaring and venting artisanal refining. People of Portharcourt are inhaling this polluted air day in day out which is hazardous to their health. Little wonder the average life expectancy of a Nigerian is 54.43.

The farmers and herdsmen clash in Nigeria is majorly fueled by climate change. High temperature and irregular rainfall lead to competition of land between farmers and herders. The herdsmen and farmers clash is a major crisis in Nigeria and in finding solutions, the federal government initiated a livestock transformation plan which seeks to shift livestock sector from free roaming to a system that concentrates cattle in ranching and grazing reserves. The plan if implemented will bring peace between the peace to the region and also help the climate.

Also, President Buhari attended the virtual leaders’ summit of climate change hosted by president Joe Biden of the United states, where he told the world leaders that Nigeria is a vulnerable nation of climate change and his administration is focused on creating policies that will foster environmental and climate sustainability. Particularly the transition from wood stoves to kerosene, natural gas, biogas and electricity.

Furthermore, the minister for state for environment calls for speedy passage of the climate change bill into law. An earlier copy of the bill was forwarded to the president in 2019 but it was rejected. The climate change bill has passed second reading and desperately needs to become a law. So as to have a legal instrument to battle various climate change actions and challenges in the country.

It’s 2021 and Nigeria needs to take climate change seriously. More laws need to be implemented against deforestation, illegal refining and there and there is need to focus more on renewable and better sources of energy rather than crude oil. People are dying due to polluted weather conditions, creating awareness and policies is the least that can be done to protect the average Nigerian from the dangers of climate change.