By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, has stressed the urgent need for climate action in the state given its vulnerability.
The governor made the call at the stakeholders workshop to validate the newly developed Taraba State Climate Change Policy and Action Plan in Jalingo.
The validation was organized by the Government of Taraba State in partnership with the Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP).
The governor represented by the Chairman of the Committee on Environment and Climate Change, Taraba State House of Assembly, Dr. Tafarki Agbadu Eneme described the validation of the Action Plan as timely.
He reaffirmed the commitment of his government towards mitigating the impact of climate change and promised to support every effort that will bring about achieving a sustainable development in the ecosystem, stating that he has laid the groundwork.
“We must recognise that climate change is not just an environmental issue, it is a multi faced challenge that affects our economy, health and the future generation. Today, we reaffirm our commitment to addressing these challenges through a robust and actionable climate change policy that aligns with global standards set fort by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement and other international treatise,” he declared.
Commissioner of Environment and Climate Change, Aisha Barde in her opening remarks commended African Climate Foundation (ACF) and SPP for selecting Taraba State as a beneficiary of the fund, and for their effort in ensuring that the policy development process captures the voices and needs of the people of Taraba state.
She said the document will be implemented in different sectors towards reducing greenhouse gas emission in the state and achieving sustainable growth.
In his welcome address, the State Director for Climate Change, Ahmed Lazarus, commended the technical team for their diligent work in drafting the policy document.
Dr. Sadiq Austine Okoh of SPP who presented the Action Plan said the event is a significant progress by the state towards improving its climate governance structure, starting with the development of a climate change policy and action plan.
The objective of the workshop which brought together diverse stakeholders, including state and local government officials, community leaders, civil servants, businesses, civil society organizations, academics, private sector representatives and international partners, was to review the draft policy, gather valuable feedback, build consensus, and refine the policy to ensure an actionable implementation roadmap.
The Climate Change Policy and Action Plan, supported by funding from the African Climate Foundation (ACF) provides a pathway and actionable strategies for responding to these challenges and building resilience across the state.
