REMARKS BY REP. SAM ONUIGBO FCIS, FNIM, KJW, MEMBER GOVERNING BOARD AND CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON SECURITY, CLIMATE CHANGE AND SPECIAL INTERVENTIONS, NORTH-EAST DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION (NEDC) DURING THE REPORT LAUNCH OF THE MAPPING OF CLIMATE IMPACT, POLICY AND ACTION AT THE SUB-NATIONAL LEVEL IN NIGERIA WHICH HELD ON 17 NOVEMBER AT SANDRALIA HOTEL, ABUJA.
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The “Mapping Climate Change Impact, Policy and Action in Nigeria’s 36 States” project clearly aims to map the impact of climate change in the 36 states, and even the 774 local government areas to analyse the existing policies and actions in these sub-nationals, and identify the support needs of these sub-nationals to effectively domesticate climate change policies to attract climate fund and investments.
The objectives of this programme are aligned with the provisions of Section 5 (1) of the Climate Change Act 2021, that describes the composition of the National Council on Climate Change.
Section 5 (1) (p) and (q) unambiguously provide for the sub-nationals through the presence of the Chairman of the Governors’ Forum, and the President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria on the Council. The reason for this is to allow for resolutions and policy decisions made at the Council to be conveyed by the representatives of the sub-nationals, namely the Chairman of the Governors’ Forum and the President of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria to the States and Local Governments, respectively. The combination of the provisions of the Act and the execution of this important project is a practical application of vertical integration of policies from the national to the states and Local Government Areas.
In Section 11 (1) (a) (b) and (c), the Act provide for the appointment of six (6) Zonal Coordinators from the six (6) geopolitical zones and State Directors for each state, and such other persons as may be required to pursue the objectives of this Act. To eliminate working in silos and to achieve collaboration and productivity, Section 11 (2) stipulates that “a Zonal Coordinator or State Director appointed under this Section shall be appointed by the Council on the recommendation of the Minister responsible for Environment.”
Today, through this launch, we are putting into effect critical provisions of the Climate Change Act 2021, for the sustainable development of our nation and humanity.
Therefore, I urge the Governors and the Local Government Chairmen to take the multifaceted threats posed by climate change to life, livelihoods, security and humanity as a whole very seriously because the era of saying that climate change is issuing warning shots is over. We are now living with the devastating impacts of climate change.
With the responsibilities assigned to the representatives of the subnational–the Governors and the Local Government Chairmen by the Act–they should begin to make adequate budgetary provisions for improved climate change action and resilience.
I thank the organisers of this programme, and wish you successful deliberations.
