Climate change: Oxfam calls for urgent action as Nigeria loses 50% agric produce in 2023

Nigeria lost approximately 50% of its agricultural produce to climate change in 2023, Assalama Sidi, regional director for West and Central Africa at Oxfam International said Wednesday.

Sidi made this known during a plenary session on ” Tackling Hunger” at the Nigeria Economic Summit in Abuja, where she harped on the urgent need for increased investment to mitigate climate change impact.

Sidi highlighted that climate change is exacerbating vulnerabilities and inequalities in the region, noting that while Africa, particularly the Sahel, has a per capita carbon emission six times lower than the global average, temperatures are rising 1.5 times faster in West Africa.

The regional director explained that this disparity is leading to severe flooding, droughts, and a significant decline in agricultural yields.

“Last year, Nigeria lost about 2.12 billion, and that’s about 50 percent of its agricultural production”, she said.

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According to her, the resulting food inflation surged to 40% in March 2024, disproportionately affecting those living on less than two dollars a day.

Sidi also expressed concerns that the agricultural sector, which traditionally employed 70% of Nigeria’s workforce, is now in decline due to climate challenges, and Women and girls are particularly vulnerable, facing heightened impacts during hunger crises.

Furthermore, Sidi criticised global polluters for failing to uphold their commitments under the Paris Agreement, noting that African countries are forced to incur debt to address climate change consequences.

“Isn’t it ironic that a country like Chad or Nigeria or Cameroon has to borrow money to attain climate change effects and borrow money from those who are polluting the world, increasing the country’s debt ironically”, she queried.

She called for accountability, asserting that polluters should bear their fair share of the costs associated with climate impacts.