Climate Change is Key, Don tells President Tinubu of Nigeria
By Our Correspondent
The Director, Centre for Climate Change and Development, CCD, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, AEFUNAI, Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to give priority to climate change.
In what appears to be the review of President Tinubu’s inaugural address, he said: “Most of the things highlighted by the president were, in many respects, extremely laudable goals that should be pursued. For example, according to the most recent reports from the World Bank and other international organisations, Nigeria has the highest unemployment rate, so it is right that a focus on job creation should be a priority for the new administration.
“However, the speech of the President has one very big and glaring omission. This significant omission is the President’s failure to identify combating climate change as one of his top priorities. This is a very important omission because climate change poses one of the greatest economic, physical, financial, and development risks to Nigeria.”
According to content obtained by The Daily, www.thedaily-ng.com, from CCD, he said: “It has been calculated that climate change as of today is costing Nigeria up to $100 billion. This represents about N15 trillion and close to 20 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP. Calculations show that by 2050, climate change could cost Nigeria about N460 billion. This is in the region of about N69 trillion and this could be between six to 30 per cent of Nigeria’s GDP.
“Climate change is already causing drought and loss of crop yield in Nigeria. In some cases, up to 50 per cent of crop yield loss is expected by 2050.
“So, it is easy to see that without a concerted effort to tackle climate change, the new president will struggle to fulfill his goal to fight hunger and poverty in the country.
“Just recently, we’ve seen the number of deaths and displacements that have been caused by unprecedented floodings which had affected nearly 30 of 36 states of the country. Up till today, clear estimates have not been provided by the government on these losses.
“But we do know from the government’s own figures that the direct estimate of damage and loss caused by the 2012 flood is about $16.9 billion, which is about N2.63 trillion naira. Up to nearly 4000 kilometers square in the coastal regions of Nigeria will be inundated by a minimum rise of sea level due to climate change.
“Places like Bonny, Forcardos, Lagos, and Port Harcourt will be at risk with vast amounts of property and oil infrastructure at risk.
“International climate finance is now worth over $3 trillion. So, by positioning Nigeria effectively to tackle climate change, the president can unlock billions of international climate finance and help to address the perennial challenge of lack of energy access.
“This represents one of the biggest constraints against economic growth in the country. If climate change is properly understood and tackled, it can offer Nigeria the enormous opportunity to unleash the green growth transition potential that it has to create jobs security and help in the fight against terror.”
He added: “So, as we celebrate World Environment Day, it is important to really bring to the attention of the president, the need to prioritise climate change in his agenda to make it the left, right, and centre of his administration.”
