NILDS’ DG, resource persons commend NASS on passage of Climate Change Act
By Tom Okpe
Director-General, National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies, (NILDS) Prof Abubakar Sulaiman has commended the National Assembly, (NASS) for passing into law, the Climate Change Act.
Sulaiman made the call at a 2-day workshop for Hiuse Correspondents in Minna, Niger State, Friday.
The DG, represented by General Manager, Democracy Radio, Kudu Abubakar said the call became necessary to galvanise efforts, in averting calamitous consequences of climate change in Nigeria and other countries.
He said: “It is laudable that Nigeria has passed the climate change Act and also established the National Council for Climate Change, (NCCC).
“This organisation is expected to be both, the driver and regulator issues and policies.
“Therefore, to avoid the consequences in Nigeria and beyond, it behoves on the media and indeed, parliamentary correspondents, to join the vanguard of mainstreaming climate change policies in Nigeria,” he said.
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He further stressed that it was the only way, parliamentarians, including the Executive and other professionals will realise the goals and achieve the stated climate change policies of the United Nations, (UN).
Also, other resource persons at the workshop, challenged media practitioners, on dangers of the menace, and tips on how to address the issue.
In his remarks, a former member of the House of Representatives and Committee Chairman, Climate Change in the 9th Assembly, Sam Onuigbo said Nigeria lost $6 billion to the 2022 flood; following the devastation of farm lands, farmer/harder clashes.
Onuigbo who sponsored the Climate Change Bill now, accented to, also said; “If special actions are not taken, the economy will be so devastated that it will be too difficult to recover.
“Monies that would have been used to develop the country, will be put into recovering effects of climate change.”
He tasked journalists to engage and seek funding from donor agencies for the required empowerment to put this ugly trend, on the front burner in its appropriate perspective.
Also speaking, Dr Uche Anunne, Assistant Editor-in-Chief, News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) enumerated some challenges on mainstreaming climate change.
In a paper titled ‘Effective Reporting of Green Economy: the Prospects and Challenges’ Anenne said the concept of climate change is relatively new and there are few experts.
Quoting a study by Brookings Institute, he stated that to implement a green transition, Nigeria will need to tackle three main obstacles of inadequate financing, fiscal and job consequences of a just transition, and imperfect project implementation capacities.
He charged media practicers to ensure the obstacles are removed and to hold policy makers, accountable to the people.
