The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Climate Change, Chief Sam Onuigbo, has said that N8billion proposed by the federal government in the 2017 budget is not enough to address the challenges of climate change in Nigeria.
He made this known in Umuahia during an interactive session with our correspondent.
Chief Onuigbo said Nigeria is particularly vulnerable to climate change as hostile developments like pollution, flood, coastal and gully erosions, desertification and drought have combined to create food scarcity, poor access to energy, unemployment and poverty in the land.
“When these disasters caused by climate change occur, we have seen a pattern that livelihoods are destroyed and women and children are usually disproportionately affected,” he said.
While Rep. Onuigbo observed that the N8billion was little compared to USD8billion put in by Morocco, and about USD50billion by Saudi Arabia, he said it represented a significant growth that has begun to reflect the government’s commitment to addressing climate change issues and ensuring that Nigeria adhered to her Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).
“One cannot stress enough how impactful climate change has been on our society, and the need to take it seriously. I hope that from now on, more attention will be paid to climate change, as it has the power to affect other key areas of our lives,” Onuigbo stated.
He called on the executive and the legislature to synergize their efforts in a deliberate and coordinated way in taking climate action aimed at protecting the environment and empowering people.
“While clearing our path towards accelerating industrialisation in a way that supports a rapid and resilient economic growth, we have to work to achieve sustainable development in all facets of our economy,” he added.
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