The Kaduna State University (KASU) has trained 80 Islamic clerics on climate change and epidemic in a workshop tagged: “Dialogue with Religious Leaders on Climate Change”, organised in collaboration with an Islamic organisation.
The organisers of the training said the aim was to sensitise the clerics about climate change and how they could equally help educate their followers.
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One of the organisers and a senior lecturer of surgery with the Bayero University Kano (BUK), Dr. Jamil Isma’ila Ahmad, said the clerics were trained on climate change and emerging and re-emerging trends of epidemic.
Dr. Ahmad said there was a need to update their knowledge beyond past epidemics such as meningitis and HIV, adding that it was paramount to update them on emerging pandemics such as COVID-19.
He further said, “Apart from epidemics, we felt the need to educate the ulamas on climate change, which is responsible for global warming, floods and deforestation, because they are closer to the ordinary people.”
In his remarks, Prof. Mohammed Amin Al’amin of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), said lack of drainage systems was one of the factors responsible for flooding in cities like Kaduna and parts of the North.