Rep Onuigbo Calls For Effective Collaboration To Address Climate Change Menace
Rep Onuigbo Calls For Effective Collaboration To Address Climate Change Menace
Everyone must leverage on all available opportunities through effective partnership, global collaboration, finance mobilization, climate diplomacy and green industrialization to urgently address the debilitating effects of climate change.
The Chairman, Committee on Security, Climate Change and Special Interventions, North East Development Commission, Rep Sam Onuigbo dropped the assertion while delivering a keynote address to mark Professor Chinedu Nwajiuba’s 60th birthday anniversary at Coal City University, Enugu State recently.
Speaking on the paper entitled “Climate Change Act: Implications for Climate Action in Nigeria during the Climate Justice and Just Energy Transition Conference, Rep Onuigbo who represented Ikwuano/Umuahia North and South Federal Constituency and Sponsor of the Climate Change Act in the 9th session of the Nation Assembly said beyond the legislation and oversight functions, other segments of human population must work hands in gloves to stop further challenges posed by the menace.
He noted, “And to re-affirm that Nigeria’s Climate Change Act, fully activated by several presidential pronouncements, is eminently positioned to guide our actions. President Bola Tinubu in his opinion piece published by CNN declared; ‘We envision Africa becoming the leading green manufacturing hub globally, with targeted support and access to global markets. Nigeria and much of Africa possess a unique advantage–we do not need to decommission coal-fired power plants. We have an unparalleled opportunity to leapfrog decades of conventional, high-emission industry by building our industrial future on a new green foundation.’
“I will like to end by using an example very close to all of us gathered here today at the Coal City, to buttress how a good legislation can help enforce action and ensure that goals are achieved. On April 22, 2024, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), transferred regulatory oversight of the Enugu electricity market to the Enugu State Government.
“This was inline with the Constitutional amendment we effected during the 9th Assembly, and the subsequent enactment of the Electricity Act 2023, which unbundled the electricity sector and has now made it possible for States, and even private investors to go into the market and leverage on off grid and mini grid options to tackle the energy problem we have in this country. Without legislation, this would not have been possible.
“In essence then, legislations such as the Climate Change Act are critical for transformative actions. This legislation along with the accompanying actions by the Nigerian government are aimed at ensuring that no critical segment, or poor and vulnerable groups are inequitably pushed behind in our coordinated march towards climate justice and just energy transition to achieve a low-carbon and environmentally sustainable economic development,” he said.
However, rep Onuigbo listed effects of climate change to include massive flooding, landslide, heat wave, food insufficiency, desertification among others stressing that they hinder sustainable development and better existence.
“We know that it is, as severe and unpredictable weather events around us affirm daily. From the floods we now witness frequently, the massive landslide in Kaokalam village in Papua New Guinea that reportedly killed 2000 villagers in their sleep, the midair storm that hit two international airlines: Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways, the heat wave in Mecca that killed 1,300 persons, irregular rainfalls, the menace of gully and coastal erosion, desertification and land degradation leading to loss of arable land, loss of over 90 percent of Lake Chad, forced migration, competition for scarce resources and food insecurity, confrontation and security challenges, even the die-hard sceptic knows that the world is reeling under the impacts of climate change,” he said.
“Clearly, Africa’s and by extension Nigeria’s priorities are economic growth, creation of employment for its over 477 million youthful population under 35 years, climate resilience, benefit from blue economy, access to clean cooking and also to energy generally, to take advantage of the abundance of over 60 percent of critical mineral resources required for the production of over USD$7 trillion Electric Vehicles (EV) market.
“It has become clear that without increased emission reduction efforts in all sectors–industrial, energy, transport, open fires, clean cooking, the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius will stay unreachable,” he said.
