By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal on Tuesday said Nigeria is committed to implementing robust solutions to holistically tackle it’s unique climate change challenges.
He said this at the high-level event “Partnering to Scale Up Climate Actions in Fragile and Conflict Affected Situations (FCS) – Zooming in on Food Security,” organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) held in the Embassy of UAE, Rome.
The Minister said that climate change transcends borders and demands collective action especially as it pertains to food security in fragile and conflict-affected situations.
The Minister emphasized the importance of awareness, capacity building, collaboration, financial support, and technology transfer in leveraging international, regional, and local climate efforts. He also highlighted the challenges of funding, technology, and capacity building, while noting opportunities in renewable energy, climate-resilient agriculture, and regional cooperation.
For building climate-resilient agro food systems, the Minister called for coordinated involvement of all stakeholders, comprehensive studies to identify conflict causes, and adoption of measures to boost food security and climate adaptation
“Nigeria, like many other countries is experiencing the negative impacts of climate change ranging from rising temperatures, erratic rainfall patterns and increased frequency of extreme weather events such as floods and droughts.
“These effects have significant implications to our agricultural sector which is the backbone of our economy and the primary source of livelihood to millions of Nigerians. The situation is even more devastating in fragile and conflict-affected regions.
“The Northeast part of Nigeria is a typical example of such region grappling with challenges of climate-induced environmental degradation and other issues related to insurgency and terrorism. The existing conflicts in this region exacerbate food insecurity and strain our already stretched resources. Farmers are unable to cultivate their lands and food supply chains are broken leading to severe food shortages and heightened vulnerability among our population.
“We are investing in climate-smart agriculture in order to enhance resilience of our food systems as well as promote practices such as agroforestry, conservation agriculture and the use of drought-resistant crop varieties. Our aim is to improve food production while conserving our natural resources.
“Nigeria has been proactive in engaging with international partners to mobilize resources and expertise. Our collaboration with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and other development partners has been instrumental in supporting our climate initiatives.
“These partnerships have enabled us to implement projects that enhance community resilience such as the Great Green Wall initiative which is aimed at combating desertification and restoring degraded lands across the Sahel region. A lot of work is still required in order to tackle these challenges
He called on the international community to fulfil their commitments to climate financing, particularly for fragile and conflict-affected states.
“Financial support is crucial for implementing adaptation and mitigation strategies, building resilient infrastructure and ensuring that vulnerable communities are not left behind.
“I will like call on distinguished participants lay more emphasis on the participation of women, youths and indigenous communities at the forefront of our climate actions. They are often the most affected by climate change and possess valuable traditional knowledge and practices that can contribute to sustainable solutions.”
