According to the word of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari Stated that “We’ll not take Nigerians for granted”, issued immediately after he was elected as the President of Nigeria. The statement shows that the government is very much interested in issues sounding Climate Change and Sustainable Development.
At the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) slated for December 2015, climate negotiators from all over the world will converge on Paris, where they will deliberate on concrete Co2 emissions reduction plans to be incorporated with total renewable energy road maps geared towards limiting and regulating human activities that could alter the earth.
Nigeria government need to remember that if we are planning to limit the average global temperature of 2 degree Celsius, we need to put lot of effort into it. Should we be attending this UN Climate Change Conference in Paris from 30 November -11 December 2015? What shall we be going there to tell the world? That we are distributing generators as a way of reducing emissions as a government? Or are we just going to attend and collect estacode to line our pockets? This should be put in place in other for us to be part of countries that will laugh and make a reasonable agreement.
As giant of Africa, we are still depending on this old day’s glory and we are not ashamed that some other countries like Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Morocco, Benin, Ethiopia, and Gabon have submitted their pledges to United Nations on how they intend to reduce greenhouse gas emissions emanating from their respective countries. Climate Change and the associated obligation to reduce Green House Emissions have become one of the most important policy issues in the global system and it is not reasonable for Nigeria to lag behind through our deliberate actions. I am not against development. However, development must be sustainable if we are to leave a country that will sustain our children in future.
When will Nigeria government submit INDC? When do we start talking about the policies governing them? The country is expected to deliver its commitment to a proposed UN climate change deal once the new government is in office. In 2010 Nigeria was responsible for 0.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Agency like EU, also commends The President of Nigeria Agenda on Climate Change.
UNDP is ready to support Nigeria in Implementing the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) UNDP Country Director Dr. Lamin Beyai stated this in is remake at a stakeholders’ workshop on Climate Change.
“Our support is to strengthen national capacities for integrating environmental and energy concerns into development plans at all levels.
“We know very well that National Green House Gas inventories are a critical starting place for preparing the INDC.
“It is noteworthy that the entire process would benefit immensely from national capacities developed with UNDP’s support during the preparation of the First and Second National Communications to UNFCCC.
“Coincidentally this would set the tone for the preparation of the Third National Communications,” he said.
With all this international support we still find it difficult to put ourselves together and submit our pledge. INDC NIGERIA link is empty and this is not right for a country like ours who called herself the biggest economy in Africa. I have always wondered what the policy on Climate Change is for Nigeria. The action of government portrays a high level of insincerity among policy makers. Or are they doing this because they do not know? One is tempted to say that because of the level of corruption it is not unlikely that even when we know what the outcome of our actions will be, we would still act in ways that will affect the general populace adversely. Climate Change borders on security of all aspects of our lives. It borders on health, food, housing and even the economic security.
In the words of Barack Obama “This is the moment when we must come together to save our country Nigeria. Let us resolve that we will not leave our children a world where the oceans rise and famine spreads and terrible storms devastate our lands”. As a country that experience flooding every time we have rainfall, I do not know where my family house will be in the next 30 years. Government should compile all necessary reports and submit before the deadline so that we can save our planet. WE HAVE TO ACT NOW.
Olumide Idowu
Campaign Specialist
Climate Wednesday
@OlumideIDOWU
Leave a Reply