By Adesewa Oyinloye
A former National Assembly member, Hon. Sam Onuigbo has advocated for the development of proper climate governance framework as one of the key things that will guide coordinated and increased climate action in the North Eastern part of Nigeria, even as he says a lot of work has been done in repositioning the North East.
Delivering a lecture titled “Leveraging climate action for the sustainable development of North East Nigeria” at the maiden summit on climate change in the North East and a retreat organised by the North East Development Commission in Gombe, Hon Onuigbo said the framework must take into consideration the following:
“A clearly articulated vision backed by SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals and objectives, political will enshrined in a long-term vision, which changes in governmental leadership cannot deter or alter.
His words “Having proper policy frameworks and action plans must include early warning systems that prepare our people for any climate emergencies.
“This assertion becomes even more important and urgent in view of recent massive devastations in the region by climate change. I am happy that some of the States here already have Climate Change Action Plans while the others are working to develop theirs.
“There is also a need to have legal frameworks providing legal backing to our efforts. In this vein, there is a need to domesticate the Climate Change Act across the States paying attention to the peculiar set-up and needs of each State”.
“Climate change education and awareness creation should also be a key part of our governance framework. This is supported by the provisions of Sections 26 and 22 of the Act.
“Indeed, education is key, so is the creation of awareness amongst our people. This of course links up with the need for continuous capacity building and training for stakeholders. This capacity building must include not just knowledge-sharing, but also encourage technological innovations that are locally-led.
“We must also ensure that we set up proper monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. This is a key audit process that will help us periodically evaluate how far we have gone, and adjust where necessary, to meet our goals and objectives.
“Integration of our plans and efforts with national and global goals is also critical as it ensures that we are aligning with what others are doing.”
He explained further that following up from the governance framework is the kick starting of key projects which will in turn help in addressing some of the developmental issues and also position the region for massive growth
According to him, because of the peculiar climate impacts in the North East region such as desertification and land degradation, climate smart agro-forestry should be leveraged to help restore degraded lands, improve agricultural productivity and enhance resilience to climate shocks.
“As stipulated in Section 27 of the Act, the North East stands to benefit through stakeholders engagement by promoting and adopting nature-based solutions in reducing GHG emissions and mitigating Climate Change issues in their region as explicitly stated in Section 27 of the Act.
“With the world and indeed Nigeria battling with food insecurity, climate-smart agriculture offers a solid opportunity to address the issue of food insecurity and further boost the revenue-base and livelihood options of our people.
“This should not just be about cultivating and selling food crops as raw materials, but also ensuring that the entire value chain is climate-smart, with processing and manufacturing hubs set up as well. “ he said
Onuigbo sees renewable energy as the future not just because they will be cheaper, but also because they are cleaner and will impact less on health and the environment
He said: “Dr Tedros A. Ghebreyesos, Director General of the World Health Organisation at the inaugural Summit for Clean Cooking in Africa held on May 14, 2024, in Paris, disclosed that WHO estimates that every year 3.2 million people die from household pollution generated by dirty fuels and stoves for cooking.”
“In the same vein, a study by Faculty of Public Health at the Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (SRIHER), Chennai, suggests that “extreme heat at work can double stillbirth risk.
“With the massive devastations—washing off of roadways, bridges, and drowning of Maiduguri, the largest city in the North East, and other environmental catastrophes in all the states of the North East caused by floods, we do not need a soothsayer to tell us that we are living with the devastating effects of climate change”.
“while challenges subsist, with climate change being among them, what I have tried to show in this paper is that we can, with adequate visionary planning, use these challenges as stepping stones to building a strong, virile, and sustainably developed North East.
“We have the human capital, the raw materials, and the momentum of global climate change politics, urging us on.
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for identifying the challenges of Climate Change and showing leadership in matters relating to mitigation and energy transition adding that Tinubu deserves kudos for identifying food insecurity as a national menace and making it a critical plan of his administration’s policy option.
Onuigbo who also commended the governors of the North East said the establishment of the North East Governors’ Forum represents a veritable platform to advance the cause of Climate Change mitigation actions, including enlightenment and adaptation.
