How Nigeria plans to reverse effects of climate change- Buhari
.Says Nigeria to issue Green Bond for irrigation, construction of dams for power, others
‘Nigeria will lead in efforts to have solid partnerships for restoration, recharge of Lake Chad’
President Muhammadu Buhari has announced robust plans and initiatives by his administration to reverse the negative effects of climate change in Nigeria.
Speaking during an address at the United Nations Climate Action Summit with the theme, “A Race We Can Win. A Race We Must Win,’’ in New York on Monday, President Buhari said it has become imperative to step-up collective climate actions in line with the request of the Secretary-General.
‘’It is now imperative that we must step-up our collective climate actions in line with the request of the Secretary-General. It is in this regard that I wish to reiterate Nigeria’s commitment to its obligation under the Paris Agreement, the aspirations enshrined in our Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and ensure a resilient future that mainstreams climate risks in our decision making’’, the president said.
The plans to reverse the effects of climate change in Nigeria, according to him, include the development of a more robust sectoral action plan, and expansion of the scope of Nigeria’s Sovereign Green Bonds in line with the intended upward review of Nigeria’s NDC’s towards the inclusion of the water and waste sectors by 2020.
He said in the water sector for example, Nigeria would issue a Green Bond for irrigation and construct multi-purpose dams for power, irrigation and water supply.
His words: ‘’We will strengthen solid and liquid waste management systems to attract more private sector investors.
‘’We will take concrete steps to harness climate innovative ideas by including youths in decision-making processes as part of our over-all climate governance architecture. We will mobilise Nigerian youths towards planting 25 million trees to enhance Nigeria’s carbon sink.
‘’In the energy sector, Nigeria is presently diversifying its energy sources from dependence on gas-powered system to hydro, solar, wind, biomass and nuclear sources. Specifically, Nigeria is progressively working to realize 30 per cent energy efficiency and renewable energy mix by 2030. This is envisaged to lead to 179 million tons of carbon dioxide reduction per annum by 2030.
‘’In addition, our Administration intends to develop a shelterbelt across 11 States of the Federation spanning a distance of 1,500 km and 15km across through the Great Green Wall initiative. Furthermore, the Federal Government has commenced the implementation of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Programme in Ogoniland, to recover the carbon sink potential of the mangrove ecosystem of the one thousand square kilometres (1,000 KM2) polluted site in the affected area.
‘’I should also inform the summit that our Government has introduced Climate Smart Agricultural Practices to unlock Seventy-Four (74) Million tons of carbon dioxide per annum, through relevant technologies, advocacy and best practices.
‘’We will continue to lead in efforts to have solid partnerships for the ecological restoration and recharge of the Lake. We are confident that this would improve the living conditions of the diverse nationals living in the area, promote inter-state cooperation, strengthen community resilience, as well as assist in addressing the environmental and security crisis that threaten the region, its resources and inhabitants’’, he added.
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