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Economic Confidential,
June, 2009
FEATURES
That World Environment Day
By Lawrence Adebayo Thomas
For the past three years, issues of climate change has dominated
discussions on the environment. And as we celebrate this years’
World Environmental Day (WED), Climatic change and its impacts have
taken centre stage.
Although African countries, including Nigeria are emitting a very
small percentage of the gases causing global climatic change,
Africans and Nigerians in particular are the ones who will greatly
suffer the consequences, which include water shortages, water borne
diseases especially in tropical countries without good sanitation,
and decrease in crop yield, with the attendant threat to food
security. At this point one may wonder if Nigeria is doing enough to
complement the global effort towards mitigating climate change.
When President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua formally unveiled his new cabinet
in December 19th 2008, Swearing-in the 16 incoming ministers and
reshuffling the old ones, he appeared to have renewed his mission in
government, and not mincing words, the President said serious
challenges lay ahead of his administration and told the ministers
that as they were expected to meet their individual targets, they
must also work as a compact team. On the environment he charged the
incumbent Minister - Mr. John Odey, on the need to address the issue
of environmental degradation saying "Environmental degradation has
been worsened by the vagaries of climate change. Concern to us
should be the fact that these challenges if not tackled head-on
could weaken our efforts to attain the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs).”
Taking up the President’s challenge Mr. Odey immediately went to
work hanging his strategies in line with the policy goal of the
present administration outlined by the 7-point agenda. He expressed
readiness to ensure sustainable use of our forests and prevent
desertification through extensive reforestation programme. This also
include tightening control of fuel wood extraction from reserves,
as well as ensuring that gases are refined for economic benefits
instead of being flared.
True to his words the journey so far has been steady and
encouraging. Nigeria has commenced its own Green Campaign to support
President Yar’Adua 7 – Point Agenda. In addressing the threat of
Climate Change in terms of mitigation and adaptation, government is
currently focusing on the implementation of the Clean Development
Mechanism (CDM) projects and other Climate Friendly projects in the
country. These projects are being executed on public-private-
partnership basis. Already many investors, including some of the
country’s big banking institutions, have indicated interest in some
of the CDM projects ranging from afforestation and forest
degradation programs to capturing of associated gas in the course of
petroleum exploration. For example, the Ministry of Environment is
currently working with the Prince of Wales Rainforest Project to
investigate ways in which Nigeria ’s Rainforests and other
Rainforest countries could be preserved. Other examples of CDM
projects are the Recovery of the associated gas that would otherwise
be flared at Kwale Oil-gas Processing Plant and the Pan Ocean Gas
Utilization Project recently registered by the Executive Board of
the Clean Development Mechanism.
It is the belief that these and other projects will earn the
investors more foreign exchange through the carbon credit regime.
This implies that the projects can generate revenue through their
implementation. Apart from being a good source of income to boost
the economy, reforestation and afforestation programmes of the CDM
projects will complement government's efforts towards combating
drought and desertification in the country as well as reducing
poverty through green-job creation.
In a recent address to the media on the World Environment Day
Celebration Mr. Odey did reveal that the Ministry has prepared a
number of strategies and action plans in the various thematic and
cross-sectoral areas of the environment and natural resources
management, such as the National Action Plan to mitigate the effects
of Climate Change;
the Adaptation Strategies of Action for Nigeria; the National Ozone
Programme of Action;
the National Forestry Development Programme, and the National Action
Plan to Combat Desertification and National Capacity Self-Assessment
(NCSA).
These action plans constitutes a practicable framework for embarking
on concrete, effective and targeted initiatives to reduce
environmental degradation and above all develop the necessary
partnership with the three tiers of Government and the civil society
to promote sustainable development in Nigeria .
By this highlighted efforts and the various public enligthment
communications and networking activities; through periodic
International and local Press Briefing and sensitization of the
Public on Climate Change related activities and consequences,
government has been able to build enough capacity to respond to
climate change and to mainstream gender perspective into climate
change with equal participation for both men and women.
Given all these efforts it is only right that Nigerians both in the
private and public sectors unite to Combat Climate Change as
suggested by this year’s theme: “Your Planet Needs you, Unite to
Combat Climate Change”. The Private sector should also do its best
to support Government efforts especially in line with government
policy of Public Private Partnership. We should all mobilize
nation-wide participation in creating the necessary awareness on
safeguarding our Environment. Since the main objective of the World
Environment Day is to enhance public awareness, knowledge and action
towards the importance of conserving and managing the Environment,
we must collectively promote an understanding that makes communities
change their attitudes towards the environment and mobilize
partnership to ensure all our people enjoy a safe and healthy
environment. This is because Combating Climate Change is a task that
goes beyond what the government, alone, can cope with. Private
sectors, non-governmental organizations, the media are called upon
to collaborate in mitigating Climate Change.
Lawrence Adebayo Thomas
Federal Ministry of Environment
Abuja |
