Achieving sustainable climate policies in Nigeria by ‘voting for climate’
By Oboh Linus, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Climate change issue is now at the centre of global politics. In the last decades, it has shaped public discourses as global leaders strive to chisel out policies that would birth a sustainable climate.
Nigeria, like many countries, has many policies on climate change, which are geared toward mitigating its impacts on humanity and the ecosystem respectively.
This is in addition to the Climate Change Act which was sponsored by then Rep. Sam Onuigbo and signed into law by former president, Muhammadu Buhari.
The law serves as Nigeria’s legal blueprint for a sustainable climate.
The initiative for the conversion of vehicles to Compressed Natural Gas engines is another Federal Government effort to promote a pollution-free environment.
However, in spite of these efforts, Africa’s largest economy is still facing huge climate problems.
This is largely due to inadequate political will to fully implement its policies and climate-friendly initiatives.
Sadly, the failure to effectively implement climate policies has worsened Nigeria’s ranking among countries that are seriously taking climate action.
Nigeria placed Nigeria 158 out of 182 countries on climate vulnerability as of 2023, according to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative Index.
Analysts say fighting climate change goes beyond talking and formulation of policies. They say it needs shared commitment from the leaders, citizens and right budgetary provisions for sustainable implementation.
They said that Nigeria had a fair share of environmental and ecological challenges like flooding, erratic rainfall patterns, erosion, heat waves, air pollution, poor energy, and deforestation that left visible scars on its citizenry.
They alleged that some political leaders in the past had treated climate change issues with levity as ecological funds set aside by governments toward addressing environmental and climate emergencies are often misappropriated.
Climate Analysts attribute the lack of political will to effectively implement climate policies and action plans to the failure of electorates over the years to use their voting powers to elect climate-friendly politicians.
They further say there is the need for registered voters in Nigeria to realign themselves toward voting for climate if they want to achieve a sustainable environment.
In light of this, they argue that to hold political leaders accountable for their climate inactions, voters should change the narrative by giving their mandates to candidates with climate-friendly dispositions.
Dr David Michael, Executive Director, Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation, said voting for climate matters, especially in Nigeria where the political will for climate actions is conspicuously lacking.
He described climate change as a global issue impacting the globe, socio-economic, food security and security, noting that it directly links to social issues currently ravaging Nigeria.
He said that climate change was already impacting food security in the country and making the citizenry vulnerable due to delayed rainfall and long dry spells.
“Voting for climate change matters because when you vote for climate and environmental friendly politicians they will come out with the right policies.
“They will come with the right budgetary provisions to ensure that we build climate resilience in Nigeria.
“This will enable us to overcome some of the impacts of climate change and some of the social and economic impacts of climate change we are facing today.
“When you vote a climate denial into office the chances are that he will be silent about climate change. And you can imagine the impacts that we already experienced,” he emphasised.
He stressed the need for states to domesticate climate change policies of the federal government and work toward their implementation.
“Fighting climate change is not by talking, is not just having policies, it requires resources – right budgetary provisions and implementation.
“The hunger protest that ended not long ago, although a lot of people will read political meaning to it, if there was no hunger there would be no basis for people to take political advantage of the situation.
“So, we need those politicians who will help guide the light for the nation to build climate resilience and we can only achieve that when we vote for the right candidates,” he said.
As Edo and Ondo governorship elections approach, he enjoined the registered voters to do themselves good by voting for those candidates who would come out publicly to declare and state their climate action plans.
“Climate change is impacting Edo and Ondo states greatly, both states witness floods annually.
“Climate change will impact democracy that clearly shows when the INEC office in Edo State was flooded earlier this year and a lot of election materials were destroyed.
“In Ondo state, the Aiyetoro community is experiencing sea level rise; the community has lost a large chunk of its lands to water. The people of Ondo must and should demand climate action by voting for the right candidate.
“Voters should demand climate action plans when going around for campaigning because it is an issue that directly impacts their lives and livelihoods, they have the power to speak with their vote and they should vote right,” he advised.
Dr Mohammed Kabiru Dahiru, Senior Lecturer, Federal University, Lafia, posited that climate change was the bane of environmental sustainability, adding that without addressing it no meaningful development could be achieved.
Dahiru, a climate change expert, who is also the acting Head of Geography Department said climate change had far-reaching implications for the survival and well-being of humanity.
He said it was appropriate to vote for politicians who were conscious of climate change challenges.
According to him, this will ensure they provide opportunities to contribute either through legislation or policy implementation towards reducing its impacts on citizens.
He emphasised the need to educate the public and encourage them to vote for the candidates who have interest and good intentions toward climate action.
“Climate change is human-induced to a large extent. Since it is a human-induced problem it needs humans to work towards ensuring that the problem is alleviated,” he said.
Envoh Okolo, Coordinator, Nasarawa State Network on Environment Climate Justice, says voting for climate is long overdue in Nigeria, considering the level of climate change impacts on the environment and its socio-economic effects on livelihoods.
He said Nigerians were facing food shortages due to the impacts of climate change as manifested in long dry spells, flooding and environmental degradation.
“The reason is because of the lack of political will to implement policies and action plans to mitigate the impact of climate change; this is evident in inflation and hunger being experienced in several states,” he said.
Okolo advised the Edo and Ondo electorate to scrutinise candidates’ manifestos before deciding whom to vote for in their upcoming elections.
“Climate change has not affected voting patterns in Nigeria therefore it is high time the citizens began to have the consciousness toward voting for climate,” he said.
Mr Jonathan Joshua, a climate change advocate and National President, Association of Small Scale Agro Producers in Nigeria (ASSAPIN) said climate change being a global phenomenon had enormously impacted both agriculture and security.
He said voting for climate-friendly politicians would amount to voting for environmental sustainability, food security and commitment to bringing interventions toward reducing its impacts.
Joshua enjoined the voters in Nigeria, particularly in Edo and Ondo to take decisive actions by voting for candidates that would implement climate change policies.
“If they must be voted for they must have plans for interventions in line with climate policies; that will help the farmers and the vulnerable communities to deal with climate change.
”So the voters must take a decisive decision; any candidate that is not going to implement climate change policies in their administration should not be given a chance to be voted for,” he advised. (NANFeatures)
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