Nigerians have been asked to desist from deforestation, bush burning, and other practices that could cause more harm to the ozone layer in order to save the environment from further hazard and depression.
This was the center point of the first day of a two – day advocacy workshop on climate change organized by the Federal Ministry of Environment for critical stakeholders in environmental issues in the South-East zone as part of efforts towards curbing global warming.
Correspondent, Emmanuel reports that the event held in Awka, attracted participants from government offices, organized private sectors, NGOs, Civil Society groups, faith based organization, among others, who came from the five states that make up the South-East zone, Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia, and Ebonyi states.
The workshop aimed at enlightening the participants on how best to tackle climate change and mobilize action towards actualizing friendly environment, owing to the fact that the major percentage of global warming is humanly caused.
In his speech , the Acting Director Department of Climate Change Federal Ministry of Environment, Mrs Halima Bawa-Bwari represented by the Deputy Director in the Ministry, Dr Musa Aliyu-Yauri pointed out that Nigeria is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and its phenomena manifest from rising sea levels, drought and desertification, flooding with adverse impacts on food security, human health and settlements, insecurity resulting to increased loss of lives and property.
Earlier, the Anambra state Commissioner for Environment, Mr Obi Nwankwo represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Emma Okafor, highlighted the importance of training and retraining of people especially at the grassroot level, to make them understand the effects of climate change and take necessary precautions to tackle global warming.
In a presentation, a Lecturer from University of Maiduguri, Dr Muhammed Arabi who spoke on “National Action on Tracking the Challenges of Climate Change in Nigeria”, said that people in this part of the world must learn to desist from deforestation, and other practices which can contribute to global warming, noting that to achieve success in tackling challenges of climate change in Nigeria, the government must be at the forefront, and adopt implementation model.
Another resource person at the event, and Chairman Board of Directors Nigerian Environmental Study Action Team, Professor Chinedum Nwajiuba, identified Nigeria political leaders’ ignorance of environmental issues as the major contributory factor in environmental challenges currently faced in this part of the world, calling on them to be more conscious about the environment in their policies and programmes in order to ensure a safer environment for all.
Comments are closed for this post.