Nigeria Has Climate Mitigation Plan, Says Official
1 commentThe head of the Special Climate Change Unit in Nigeria’s Federal Environment Ministry, Dr. Victor Fodeke, says Nigeria has a robust and encompassing national action plan to tackle the impacts of climate change.
In an interview recently in Abuja, Fodeke said the widely-held notion that the country lacked a plan was untrue. He said: “Nigeria’s national action plan on climate change is a product of intensive consultation, with input from strategic stakeholders including various ministries and academia.
“The campaign suggesting that we don’t have a national agenda is a product of the divide-and-rule tactics introduced by the developed countries to weaken the negotiations of developing countries who are already feeling the impact of climate change.’’
He said Nigeria was a leading voice among the G77+ China negotiating bloc, defending her interest and that of other developing countries, as well as demanding compensation from the developed countries whose activities had caused the change in global climatic conditions.
Fodeke said it was unfortunate that some Nigerians were allowing themselves to be used to champion the campaign of calumny started by the developed countries at the recent Bangkok climate talks.
“As a developing country, we are firmly committed to the stand of the G77+ China and will continue to resist any attempt by the developed countries and their agents to undermine our interest,” he added.
The nation’s climate chief alleged that the developed countries were interested in killing the global climate treaty, the Kyoto Protocol.
“The Kyoto Protocol is the only legal instrument that compelled developed countries, known as Annex I countries, to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and fund environment-friendly projects in developing countries,” he said.
Fodeke said attempts to jettison the Protocol were in the interest neither of Nigeria nor of developing countries, hence their resolve to stick together to resist as a bloc in the negotiations under the auspices of both the G77+ China and the African groups.
As a Nigerian, I would like you to find ways of making this truth about climate change public to the citizens. We are aware of the fact that there is a wide gap between the rich and the poor in the country and so this also affects the rate at which information is being dispersed in the country as well. The lack of televisions, radios, and even education-they would not even understand if we don’t make them understand. We should do something fast and not just talk every time, i suggest. Id like to see an effective change. I do understand what is being written here and it is encouraging to finally find out that we are starting to do something. I was told that there was no plan at all but this proves it wrong.
Im willing to help for instance. In my University for instance, we could start doing something, forums that would not just end there but would go out to the people-the ‘masses’. Those are the people that need attention.
Let’s share with everyone. Those who do not have-not just monetary now but in terms of knowledge as well. We have to start somewhere.
I’d like to see my children’s children’s children someday