27 African countries adopt Marrakesh Declaration

A total of 27 African countries, including Nigeria, have confirmed their commitment to placing the Adaptation of African Agriculture (AAA) at the heart of the COP22 negotiations by adopting the AAA Initiative Marrakesh Declaration.
COP22 is the 22nd session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that came into force in 1994, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.
The Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, said Nigeria would improve on the COP 22 agreement adding that the ministry is working on the existing expertise to provide solutions to climate change. The adoption consolidates these countries’ commitment to placing the AAA at the heart of the COP22 negotiations.
AAA, launched in Morocco, seeks to reduce Africa’s agriculture vulnerability to climate change.
It aims at promoting and fostering the implementation of concrete projects that will help improve land and the effects of climate change on agriculture and food production. By this declaration, the AAA coalition is determined to respond to the high expectations pinned on COP22 – which will run from November 7 to 18 in Marrakesh – so as to make it the “COP of Action” and the “COP of Africa.”
The United States has also pledged to assist Nigeria in resolving challenges bordering on climate change in line with its bilateral relationship with it.
The US Special Envoy on Climate Change, Mr Jonathan Pershing, who disclosed this in Abuja when he led a 5-man delegation to the Ministry of Environment, said climate change has dire consequences on every aspect of life.
“Climate change is one of those issues that no sector will avoid because it narrows to livelihood in agriculture communities, fisheries communities,water and stopping conflict as there is nothing that escapes the consequences of climate change.