The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the forthcoming election, Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso says he will give women and youth a strong voice and build their capacities to engage in a climate-smart economy if elected president.
Kwankwaso made the pledge on Tuesday at a town hall meeting on climate change and environmental concerns at the University of Abuja.
The theme of the event was “2023 General Elections and the Quest for a Greener Nigeria”. It was jointly organised by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), the Corporate Accountability and Popular Participation Africa (CAPPA) and a third group, We The People (WTP).
The NNPP presidential candidate, represented by the party’s National Chairman, Prof. Rufai Alkali, said he would strengthen communities by building resilient infrastructures.
He said: “In our blueprint, we highlighted our vision for a sustainable, prosperous, equitable, and climate-resilient Nigeria. Our goal is to provide a pro-people and pro-nature framework for collective action and enhanced cooperation to address climate change issues.
“We will also improve livelihoods and well-being, promote adaptation capacity, and achieve low-emission, and sustainable economic growth.”
The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (ACC), Mr Omoyele Sowore said he would jettison the use of fossil fuel if elected during the election.
Sowore said his administration would ensure that those that caused tree felling, gas flaring, and pollution that led to the ozone layer and earth destruction would pay compensation.
The candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adebayo Adeoye also said he would enforce Section 20 of the 1999 Constitution, which provides for environmental protection as one of the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy.
According to Adeoye, that section of the constitution makes it incumbent on states to protect and improve the environment and safeguard the water, air, forest and wildlife.
He added that his administration would take action based on environmental plans that were not contradictory to the socioeconomic development of the country.
Mr Dumebi Kachikwu, the flag bearer of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), promised that he would ensure that science and technology research was more funded to address climate change and environmental crises in the country.
He said that his administration would also embark on a sensitisation campaign to educate Nigerians on the issues of climate change and environmental challenges in the country.
Mr Nnimmo Bassey, the Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), said that the town hall meeting was convened to provide a platform for presidential candidates in the upcoming polls to discuss their plans and strategies for addressing critical environmental and climate challenges facing the country.
Bassey said the forthcoming general elections will provide Nigerians with an opportunity to learn about the critical perception of the presidential candidates to the poly crisis that can be traced to changes in the environment, especially the climate.