Lagos strengthens climate change advocacy for economic growth

The Lagos office of climate change and circular economy (OCCE) and the ministry of energy and mineral resources (MEMR) will work together to address the rising threat of climate change in the state.

The two government entities also agreed to harness the opportunities within the climate change ecosystem to institutionalise a circular economy to create jobs and contribute to the state’s gross domestic product.

Speaking during a courtesy call on the management of LAMATA, the special adviser to the Lagos State governor on climate change and circular economy, Titi Oshodi, said climate change poses a threat to the well-being and economy of the state.

She noted that the energy sector of the state was the highest contributor to the emission of greenhouse gases in Lagos. “So, fundamentally, this ministry is one of the first areas of call for us. And we are delighted with the open arms of the honourable commissioner and his team”, she added.

The Lagos State Climate Action Plan 2020 – 2025 showed that more than half of Lagos’s 21 million residents live in informal settlements, which renders them highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Oshodi noted that the Lagos State Adaptation and Resilience Plan (LCARP) estimated the effects of climate inaction at $22-29 billion, 11 times the state’s 2022 annual budget.

“Half of 21 million Lagos residents and 11 times our state’s 2022 budget are at risk. So, we have to look for ways to rein in this menace. That’s why, for us at OCCE, what we are doing is first touching base with major actors and sharing our plans with them. And our plan is straightforward. Lack of education is a major gap between the government and the people and their roles regarding climate change. We plan to bridge that gap using various advocacy platforms and education channels that we are creating.

“On the other hand, Climate Change and its impact are not all bad news. They also hold huge economic opportunities for job creation and revenue generation,” she said.

Responding, Biodun Ogunleye, commission for energy and mineral resources, thanked the OCCE delegation and expressed the ministry’s readiness to collaborate with the OCCE to institutionalise circularity and clean energy.