Sam Onuigbo, member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South in the lower chamber of the National Assembly, has said that the overarching impacts of climate change are daily felt in Nigeria, ranging from the many gully erosions that litter the South-East, through the floods, coastal erosions in the South- South and some parts of the South East to desertification in the North and the corresponding security issues.
Onuigbo, who is the chairman, House Committee on Climate Change, also noted that extreme heat and irregular rainfall in Nigeria and all over the world are changing and bringing with them massive losses of livelihood and increased health challenges.
Onuigbo stated this at Awka, Anambra State capital during the First South-East Climate Change Summit when he was honoured with “Leadership Award in Climate Change” in recognition of his efforts at ensuring that Nigeria meets her climate change mitigation and adaptation goals.
The Abia Federal Lawmaker hinted that what was more critical was the law he and his colleagues in the National Assembly had enacted, which addresses a key issue that poses an existential threat to all mankind.
“The good news here is that there is still a little time left for us to turn things around and in the process of tackling these challenges, build a greener and more sustainable world anchored on the principles of equity, greener and more jobs for the people, better health, and increased means of livelihood,” said Onuigbo.
He disclosed that over US$14.5 trillion had been divested from fossil fuel, and many countries committing fully to transiting to net zero greenhouse gases emissions in the nearest future, the economic future of countries still dependent on fossil fuel for revenue is seriously being threatened as such countries face the risk of being left with stranded critical assets.
“But this is no cause for alarm as with this divestment comes increased investments in cleaner, greener and more sustainable energy sources. The potentialities for more jobs from this sector are immense with tens of millions of new job opportunities becoming available for the people. That way, our efforts at combating climate change and preserving our environment for our children do not only help preserve our environment and the future, these efforts also address our massive unemployment issues as a country”, he noted.
Read also: Africa loses 5% of GDP to climate change – expert
He said that a state like Anambra embraces the idea of providing energy through renewables and thus partners with private and international bodies to set up renewable energy grids, waste-to-energy plants, and also embraces climate-smart agricultural practices, adding that the state would have through that singular action address two critical issues facing the citizens, which are the provision of constant energy to power homes, hospitals, and industries, and providing massive employment for its citizenry.
“Through the improved food productivity that comes from climate-smart agricultural practices and you realize that by paying attention to climate change, the state would have confronted head-on and solved problems that account for at least 50 percent of the needs of the people— energy, livelihood means, and food security.
Thankfully, the Governor-elect of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has shown remarkable interest in climate change. I look forward to Anambra leading again from the front”, the Abia lawmaker said.
The Climate Change Act 2021 provides for the mainstreaming of climate change actions, establish the National Council on Climate Change, and for other related matters. This it does by providing for the setting up of the National Council on Climate Change to be headed by the president with several ministers, chairman of the Governors Forum, president of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), the Central Bank governor, National Security Adviser, representatives of the private sector, women, youths, civil society organizations and person living with disabilities, as members.
