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Tag: climate change

Stakeholders worried over adverse effects of climate change

The increasing rippled adverse effects of climate change on the socioeconomic survival of Nigerians is a serious cause for concern.

This was the submission of experts at a public forum in Abuja at the weekend.

Speaking at the forum, on the instance of Paddy Ezeala, Editor-in-Chief, Development Agenda Magazine, with the theme, “Climate Change and Cop28: The way forward for Nigeria” stakeholders expressed apprehension over the continuous degradation of the nation’s ecosystem by individuals for their personal gains at the detriment of the country.

Addressing a cross-section of participants including environment correspondents, Ezeala decried how Africa is badly affected by climate change as it affects the Sahel region of Northern Nigeria, especially, the areas bordered by Niger and Chad, which he says are under severe menace of desertification.

While urging Nigerians to seize this opportunity to take stock of the state of the environment and evaluate responses to the various challenges confronting the nation, Ezeala said, “The consequences of climate change are manifesting starkly in Nigeria and, in fact, across West Africa. We can no longer pretend that nothing is happening. We are all affected as fertile land areas from which the people derive sustenance through farming and other economic activities are speedily witnessing increasing loss of vegetation.

Read Also: Notes on climate change, great green wall initiative

“They evoke the image of aridity, which is an apt metaphor for a state of wholesale degradation begging for remedial action. The situation of Lake Chad is emblematic of the extent of damage being wrought by climate change in Nigeria. The Sahel is listed as a region of high vulnerability to climate-driven hazards and increasing health threats to climate interactions in the country.

“Northern Nigeria remains the food basket of the country. Any attempt not to address the environmental issues with the seriousness it deserves would spell disaster for the entire country. We are elated, however, by the Great Green Wall initiative aimed at wedging the incursion of the Sahara Desert into the country.”

Pressed further, he said, ” Presently, in southern Nigeria, it is as if war has been declared on the natural environment. Not even protected areas are spared. Massive and uncontrolled logging has been taking place in many states in Nigeria as if we are in a lawless situation. The level of illegal logging in Cross River, Edo, Ogun and even in some North Central States is disturbing.”

November 12, 2023
Notes on climate change, great green wall initiative

Climate change and desertification have been making devastating impacts on our Agriculture, Environment, and Social well-being. Climate change and desertification management should be key elements of the Agriculture and environmental sectoral reform strategy especially in the e risk assessment and mitigation as well as the sustainability modules of the stratagem. Climate change and desertification management from the point of view of early warning systems, disaster/crisis mitigation management, proactive countermeasures, and processes that should cover dependencies and counter-dependencies are critical to the existence and sustainability of our entire agriculture value chains, amongst others

The Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWI) is set to bring back the glory days of what I call the “green economy”, which will reverse/ contain/ stop impacts of climate change and desertification, boost and sustain our food security, and contain environmental degradation. This laudable initiative will protect the world and, in this context, Nigeria and Africa from the vagaries of desertification and other critical elements of climate change, which actually have potentially adverse consequences for Nigeria in particular and the continental as well as the world at large.

The impact of desertification is so important that the United Nations gave it a focal point under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) strategic objectives and targets; for which impacts have been continuously measured for success.

As an instance of progress made so far, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations; by 2021, Senegal was standing tall ahead of its peers in the Sahel region of Africa, having restored 27,000 hectares of degraded land by planting over 11million trees. Interestingly part of the re-greened area is being converted into a community-based reserve for eco-tourism. So far, the various African Government’s dispositions and actions with regard to the green economy are very clear and unambiguous

The ongoing GGWI Conference which is taking place at the African Union Commission Conference Centre running from 6th to 10th November, 2023, underscores the importance of the GGWI in combating climate change and desertification in Africa, as part of a global initiative. The core objective of the African initiative is to build; “a Pan African approach to combat desertification, climate change and the dryland of the continent”.

”The goal of the Great Green Wall for the Sahel and Sahara Initiative (GGWSI) by 2030 is to restore 100 million hectares of currently degraded land; sequester 250 million tons of carbon and create 10 million green jobs. It is envisaged that this ambition when it becomes reality will transform the drylands of Africa from threat to livelihoods to provider of livelihood. It will transform the lives of millions of people living in poverty and suffering the effects of the climate crisis. It will also help to break the cycle of migration and conflict prevalent in the Sahelian areas of Africa among other positive effects and impacts.”

This ambitious project is being implemented across 22 African countries and will revitalize thousands of communities across the continent. It brings together African countries and international partners under the leadership of the African Union Commission and the Pan-African Agency of the Great Green. More than USD 8 billion has been raised and pledged to support this game-changing initiative. ”

The project actually kick-started in 2013 In Nigeria with a focus on the efforts to combat land degradation, drought desertification, and other menace orchestrated by impacts of climate change and a strive in the implementation process to improve the livelihoods of the affected communities and reduce the apparent manifestation of poverty and building the resilience of the people on the phenomena of climate change.

Read Also: Agora Policy: climate change poses grave risks to Nigeria

Some Key Points to Note for Nigeria

As part of his critical initial steps to revamp Nigeria’s economy, President Bola Tinubu has initiated a plan to resolve the country’s food crisis by declaring a state of emergency on food insecurity.

•To contextualize the topic of today, so that we can appreciate where we are coming from, where we are, and my perspectives on the way forward, I share some statistics:

•According to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2016; In the 1960s, the Agriculture sector contributed 85% of foreign exchange earnings to Nigeria, 80% to employment, and 90% to the GDP.

•According to the Oxford Business Group (OBG), a global publishing, research, and consultancy firm; the Agriculture sector in Nigeria is currently contributing 25% to GDP and 70% to employment.

•Recently, the President of the Africa Development Bank (ADB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, stated that Africa currently imports about $ 70 billion worth of food that we can produce.

•In the case of food insecurity: According to Dr. Adesina, currently over 280 million Africans go to bed hungry.

•According to 2022 UN-funded statistics on food and nutrition projection; by August this year, over 25 million Nigerians will be food insecure.

In Nigeria, over the past few years, the awareness and consciousness of having a focal point to curb desertification has increased with the legislation by the National Assembly, subsequent presidential accession into Law in 2015, and activation of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW). The activation of the NAGGW is also in adoption with the vision and resolutions of the African Union and its Heads of State and Governments to launch the Great Green Wall in the Sahel and Sahara Initiative (GGWSSI). The GGWSSI spanned from Djibouti to Senegal and involved eleven (11) countries (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Mauritania).

The scope of the implementation process of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) covers the northern frontline States (Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Yobe).

•To achieve the mandate of the Agency, the following components are pertinent:

•Degraded land restoration and rehabilitation through Afforestation and reforestation.

•Farmers’ Managed Natural Regeneration to restore and improve agricultural, forested, and pasture lands by encouraging the systemic re-growth of existing trees or self-sown seeds.

• Promotion of alternative livelihood activities to reduce dependency on scarce natural resources, enhance the rural economy, and generate employment.

•Promotion of alternative sources of energy to reduce deforestation and enhance carbon sequestration.

•Promotion of dryland agriculture to strengthen food security and rural economy.

•Establishment of fodder farms to reduce overgrazing, enhance livestock production, increase rural income, and reduce farmers – herders’ conflicts.

•Sand dune fixation to protect agricultural lands and infrastructure.

•Oasis rehabilitation to enhance      livelihood activities and food security.

•Water resources management to ameliorate the impacts of drought and promote irrigation practices.

•Sensitisation and awareness campaign to mobilise the rural communities towards the implementation of the program.

At this juncture, I wish to commend the achievements of the NAGGW under the leadership of Dr. Yusuf Maina-Bukar for their efforts thus far. I also encourage them to do more, because to whom much is given, much is expected. In my opinion, the progress made so far by the Agency is good. Are there things that can be done better? My answer is “Yes”, considering the fact that any organization that strives to grow should continue to improve.  Therefore, as we get closer to the end of the year 2023, the focus should be to take stock of achievements made so far, and position for greater achievements going forward.

In addition, I also use this opportunity to humbly appeal to all critical stakeholders, that we should allow Mr. President and his team to focus on the delivery of his mandate. This is especially so, given the fact that just last week, Mr. President, re-iterated to the members of the Federal Executive Council that his cabinet (and by extension all the Heads of MDAs) will be performance-driven. I believe that as Mr. President settles down with fewer distractions, he will see through critical issues and deal with them in the overall interest of Nigeria. Therefore, it is only proper that we allow Mr. President to objectively review the performance and integrity of all institutions and make decisions that will decisively move the Country forward.

Meanwhile, let us all give this critical agency all the support it deserves because time is not on our side with the clear and present dangers of climate change and desertification. Please, let us allow the Agency to thrive and grow to be able to deliver its mandate, timely and effectively. It will be very unfortunate if we politicize a young institution (that is less than 10 years old) in a way that will seriously distract the Agency and make managing very important ongoing projects difficult, thereby creating slippages that will ultimately undermine the overall initiative while other African Countries that should be learning from us make progress without such distractions.

In conclusion, I note with profound respect the constitutional role that the House of Representatives of the National Assembly (NASS)- the hallowed green chamber, is playing through its relevant Committees with regard to oversight. I commend your efforts and urge you to continue working in line with the principles of fairness, equity, and justice. We also need the NASS to support new legislation that will further strengthen the Agency to deliver and sustain the enshrined mandate. I hope and pray that you will make efforts to further support and sustain the agency.

November 10, 2023
Agora Policy: climate change poses grave risks to Nigeria

Climate change poses severe and multiple threats to Nigeria’s current and future development, an Abuja-based think tank, Agora Policy, has said.

The report urges the Federal Government and other critical stakeholders to take necessary and urgent actions to avert avoidable disasters.

“It is evident that climate change is not a marginal or peripheral issue that the government and the people of Nigeria can take lightly,” says the report, titled: Climate Change and Socio-Economic Development in Nigeria.

The report, produced with the support of the MacArthur Foundation, was released yesterday in Abuja.

It acknowledges and details a plethora of climate-related initiatives, including policies, programmes, and projects.

The report states that the 2021 climate change law put in place or undertaken by successive governments but it claims that the potentials of these initiatives and interventions are undercut by the absence of commensurate action, lack of synergy and inadequate funding.

According to the 84-page report, Nigeria, despite her relatively low emission profile, is already bearing the brunt of the effects of changes in climatic conditions and of adverse weather events but that the tolls could be significantly higher.

Read Also: Fed Govt, experts seek action on climate change

Unless urgent and bold actions are taken, the report adds, the country risks becoming one of the worst-affected places by climate change, with grave implications for its currently fragile economic, social and human development indicators.

“Climate change is compounding poverty challenges in Nigeria and impeding the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Climate change is already increasing hunger, poverty, disease-burden, migration, conflict and insecurity in Nigeria. It is damaging infrastructure, changing Nigeria’s coastlines, fuelling desertification, producing water scarcity, facilitating erosion and resulting in the loss of revenue for states and the national government,” the report adds.

The report states that as at 2020, Nigeria lost at least $100 billion annually to the effects of climate change, warning that the country may lose trillions of dollars in manufacturing and construction, while oil and gas assets are likely to become stranded as the world embraces a green economy.

November 6, 2023
Fed Govt, experts seek action on climate change

The Federal has reiterated its commitment to addressing the menace of climate change and its effects on communities across the country will have to explore other avenues to mobilize financial resources to implement mitigation and adaptation measures.

The government said it is not unaware of the economic challenges climate crisis is having on individuals, communities and the country as a whole which is the reason behind its resolve to holistically address the issue.

The Minister of State for Environment, Ishaq Salako stated this on Monday at the National Conference on Climate Change, themed ‘Creating an agenda for sustainable climate finance For Nigeria’ held in Abuja where he noted that mobilization of finance to mitigate the effects of climate change crisis is a critical issue that must be well articulated and globally implemented with total commitment.

According to him Climate change poses an existential threat to our nation, and the need for comprehensive, sustainable, and innovative solutions cannot be overstated.

He said: “Nigeria, like many other nations, is grappling with the devastating impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events and ecological disruptions.

“As we confront these challenges, we must recognize that addressing climate change is not solely an environmental concern. It is an economic, social, and moral imperative that demands coordinated and collective action.

“In the pursuit of a sustainable climate future, financing plays a pivotal role.

“We must explore avenues for mobilizing financial resources to implement mitigation and adaptation measures.

“These resources should be directed towards projects that not only reduce our carbon footprint but also enhance the resilience of our communities and ecosystems.

“The Nigerian government is fully committed to addressing climate change and promoting sustainable climate finance.

“As we strive to meet these targets, we need the support and active involvement of all stakeholders, including the private sector, civil society organizations, and the international community”.

Earlier in his address, Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), said effects of climate change are set to accelerate over the coming years unless progressive climate finance and a well-structured loss and damage funding mechanism are institutionalized and appropriately managed.

Oluwafemi noted that no part of the country is currently immune to the effects of climate change, saying ng, “There is undoubtedly a need to create a new source of finance that will address climate risks and arrest emission upsurge.

“Climate finance in Nigeria has relied exclusively on concessional debt which is about 46% and non-concessional debt at 25%.

“Grant and equity-based finance currently play a relatively minimal role in Nigeria’s climate finance ecosystem, at 5% and 12% respectively.

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“Nigeria’s climate finance is not yet reflective of the country’s vulnerability.

In his keynote address, titled COP 28: Loss and Damage Fund and the quest for sustainable climate change finance mechanism, Prof. Lanre Fagbohun noted that climate change financing requires more commitment from the developed countries than what they are offering now considering how they contribute more to carbon emissions than the developing and underdeveloped regions that suffer the larger share of the effect of the phenomenon.

The former Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University said: “It has been a long and hard-fought win for the world community to get to where we are today on ‘loss and damage’.

“Its sustainability will depend on how well the mechanisms for funding arrangements and the Fund are structured.

“The global climate change governance regime as it stands today has not been sufficiently effective. It is bedeviled with contradictions and inequitable conditions of the international system.

“If the resolutions of COP27 regarding loss and damage are to achieve their goals for the UNFCCC and Paris Agreements, African countries, on their part, must be ready to stand as one to assert their joint position.

“This is the way to revolutionize Africa’s traditional approach at global negotiations”

October 24, 2023
Nigeria lost $6 billion dollars to climate change related issues in 2022 – Ex-lawmaker

A former member of the House of Representatives and Board member of the North East Development Commission, Sam Onuigbo said on Friday, October 20, that Nigeria lost $6 billion to climate change related issues in 2022 alone

Onuigbo who spoke at a retreat for Journalists covering the House of Representatives in Minna, Niger state, also said that climate change was contributing to increasing issues of insecurity in the country.

The former lawmaker said as a result of the 2022 flood, devastation of farm lands, farmer/harder clashes are issues resulting from climate change, food and national security have been seriously challenged.

Onuigbo who sponsored the Climate Change Bill now an Act, said that, if urgent actions are not taken, the economy will be devastated and making it will be too difficult to recover.

According to him, monies that would have been used to develop the country is being put into recovering from the effects of climate change.

He tasked journalists to engage and seek funding from donor agencies for the required empowerment to put climate change issues on the front burner and cause appropriate actions.

In his keynote address, Director-General of National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman tasked media practitioners on mainstreaming climate change policies in the country.

Represented by the Acting General Manager of Democracy Radio, Mohammed Kudu Abubakar, the NILDS DG said that the call became necessary to galvanise efforts to avert calamitous consequences of climate change in Nigeria and beyond.

Read Also: Niger to priotise issues of climate change, seek media collaboration

“It is laudable that Nigeria has passed the climate change Act and also established the National Council for Climate Change (NCCC).

“This organisation is expected to be both the driver or and regulator climate change issues and policies.

“Therefore, to avoid the calamitous consequences of climate change in Nigeria and beyond, it behoves the media and indeed parliamentary correspondents and in this case, the House Representatives Press corps to join the vanguard of mainstreaming climate change policies in Nigeria,” he said.

Sualiman said that it was the only way the parliamentarians, parliament including the Executive arm and other professionals to realise the goals and achieve the stated climate change policies of the United Nations.

Also speaking, Assistant Editor-in-Chief with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that lack of political will, lack of policies, dearth of data and information, lack of funding among others.

Quoting a study by Brookings Institute, Anunne said that to implement a green transition, Nigeria will need to tackle three main obstacles of inadequate financing, fiscal and job consequences of a just transition, and imperfect project implementation capacities.

He charged media practicers to ensure the obstacles are removed and to hold policy makers accountable to the people.

He said: “As National Assembly reporters it is important that you hold lawmakers accountable for legislations on green economy.

“Are they demonstrating enough commitment to green economy? It is also imperative that you track green economy- related public budgets and financing.

“Are we paying a lip service to it or properly budgeting for it? What per cent of what is proposed in the budget was approved and what per cent was released.

“What is the budget performance? What are the related agencies of government doing to ensure the implementation of green economy-related laws? How about Civil Society Organisations (CSO) and development partners.”

October 20, 2023
DG seeks finance models on climate change

Director General of Global Centre for Law Business and Economy, Dr. George Nwangwu, has called on stakeholders to find financing models on climate change for Nigeria and Africa, saying there is fund but no bankable project to access this.

Nwangwu spoke at 2023 Climate Change Forum, with the theme, ‘Financing Energy Transition for Sustainable Progress’.

He noted besides concessionary financing, private capital is also crucial. The idea is to design financing models for Africa.

Nwangwu said Africa has limited resources to fund its energy plans, unlike developed nations that made similar pledges on carbon neutrality.

Read Also: Climate Change: Balancing debt servicing and disaster response

“According to African Development Bank, it is projected the continent requires about $200 billion annually to meet its energy transition needs.

“This is way beyond the reach of the continent and it is imperative Africa recieved finance that will enable it meet with its commitment.

Chair of Committee on Climate Change, Sen. Seriaki Dickson, noted: “It is our responsibility to drive energy transition and financing, as Africa is faced with challenges of climate change, environmental degradation hence the need for sustainable energy fusion”.

This he said, requires investment, clean energy infrastructure, investment in innovative technologies and a shift in energy consumption.

‘’Financing this transition represents a win win scenario. There is the possibility of promoting public private partnerships, incentives and subsidies, carbon pricing, education and creating awareness., technology and innovation education as well as creating awareness.’’

October 13, 2023
Climate Change: Balancing debt servicing and disaster response

By Samuel Jekeli

SIR: Climate change is a global crisis that transcends borders, affecting countries in various ways. Nigeria with a diverse ecosystem and a large population, the impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly evident. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall patterns, and extreme weather events are posing significant challenges to the country’s development. One pressing dilemma that Nigeria faces is how to allocate resources between debt servicing and disaster response in the face of a changing climate.

Nigeria is no stranger to the adverse effects of climate change. From flooding in urban centres to prolonged droughts in rural areas, the climate crisis is exacerbating existing vulnerabilities, disproportionately affecting the most marginalized communities. This has created a double-edged sword for the Nigerian government: the need to manage its growing debt burden while also responding to climate-related disasters.

Nigeria, like many other developing countries, carries a significant external debt load. Servicing this debt is a financial obligation that consumes a substantial portion of the national budget. In recent years, the allocation of resources for debt servicing has raised concerns, particularly in light of the pressing climate crisis. Critics argue that dedicating a large portion of the budget to servicing debt hinders the country’s ability to respond effectively to climate-related disasters.

The changing climate is leading to an increase in the frequency and severity of disasters in Nigeria. Floods, droughts, desertification, and food insecurity are all consequences of climate change that demand immediate attention. Disaster response requires substantial resources, from emergency relief to long-term recovery and adaptation efforts. The government must invest in infrastructure resilience, early warning systems, and climate adaptation strategies to mitigate the impact of these disasters on vulnerable communities.

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Balancing debt servicing and disaster response in the context of climate change is a complex challenge, but it is not an insurmountable one. Here are some strategies that Nigeria can consider: Debt Restructuring, Climate-Focused Financing, International Support, Insurance Mechanisms, Public-Private Partnerships, Education and Awareness.

Exploring debt restructuring options, such as extending maturities or renegotiating terms, can help reduce immediate debt servicing obligations. This would free up funds for climate resilience and disaster response.

Allocating a portion of the national budget specifically for climate adaptation and mitigation efforts can help address the impacts of climate change. This would include investments in infrastructure, agriculture, and disaster risk reduction.

Nigeria can engage with international financial institutions and climate funds to access additional financing for climate-related projects. These funds often offer favourable terms and grants for climate resilience initiatives.

Implementing climate risk insurance schemes can help the government manage the financial burden of disaster response. These mechanisms can provide rapid funding in the event of a climate-related disaster, reducing the strain on the budget.

Collaboration with the private sector can mobilize additional resources for climate adaptation and disaster response. Public-private partnerships can fund and implement projects that strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability.

Raising awareness about the impacts of climate change and the need for climate resilience can encourage individual and community-level actions. Education campaigns can help reduce the long-term burden of disaster response.

Climate change is an undeniable reality that is reshaping the world, and Nigeria is not immune to its effects. Balancing the need for debt servicing with the imperative of disaster response in the face of climate change is a formidable challenge. However, it is essential for the government to adopt a multifaceted approach that considers both short-term financial obligations and long-term climate resilience.

By restructuring debt, securing international support, and prioritizing climate-focused financing, Nigeria can better allocate resources to address climate-related disasters. Additionally, public-private partnerships and climate risk insurance mechanisms can provide valuable tools to manage the financial burden associated with climate change impacts.

Ultimately, finding the right balance between debt servicing and disaster response is crucial for Nigeria’s sustainable development and the well-being of its people. Climate change is not a problem that can be deferred; it demands immediate attention and proactive measures to ensure a resilient and sustainable future for the nation.

• Samuel Jekeli, Centre for Social Justice, Abuja.

October 12, 2023
Agriculture sector from security and climate change perspectives

As part of his critical initial steps to revamp Nigeria’s economy, President Bola Tinubu has initiated a plan to resolve the country’s food crisis by declaring a state of emergency on food insecurity.

How did we get here?

•To contextualize the topic of today, so that we can appreciate where we are coming from, where we are, and my perspectives on the way forward, I share some statistics:

•According to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2016; In the 1960s, the Agriculture sector contributed 85% of foreign exchange earnings to Nigeria, 80% to employment, and 90% to the GDP.

•According to the Oxford Business Group (OBG), a global publishing, research, and consultancy firm; the Agriculture sector in Nigeria is currently contributing 25% to GDP and 70% to employment.

•Recently, the President of the Africa Development Bank (ADB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, stated that Africa currently imports about $ 70 billion worth of food that we can produce.

•In the case of food insecurity: According to Dr. Adesina, currently over 280 million Africans go to bed hungry.

•According to 2022 UN-funded statistics on food and nutrition projection; by August this year, over 25 million Nigerians will be food insecure. These projections were made before the policy missteps of 1st quarter this year by the erstwhile Mr. Godwin Emefiele-led CCBN with regards to the brutal monetary policy and the cashless policy, the Agric anchor-borrowers scheme missteps, the increase in climate change, etc. Therefore, the current number of Nigerians who are suffering from food insecurity is certainly more than 25 million.

FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES

Critical initial steps have been taken by President Tinubu for the short term. Now that he has a functional Federal Executive Council which includes the Honorable Minister and Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, in persons of Senator Abubakar Abba Kyari and Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi respectively: There should be a formulation of an Agriculture sectoral reform strategy that will cover insecurity, climate change, critical infrastructure, improving production, value-addition, storage, logistics and supply chain, etc. Unless there is a strategy that covers the short, mid to long terms, the short-term interventions will not be sustainable.

I appreciate the initial steps taken by Mr. President, albeit they are taken on the spur of the moment to address the pressing challenges. Therefore, the President needs to have a robust national agriculture strategy so that we can have sure-footed and sustainable progression with regard to food security and support for the production economy. It is worthy of note that Agriculture provides food, medicine, and pharmaceutical support, and over 50% of the critical raw materials for the production sector across the entire economic value chain. Therefore, it is a critical sector. Agriculture, if well harnessed and managed, has the capacity to enable the turnaround and drive the economy of this Country as it happened in the 1960s and make Nigeria far less dependent on hydrocarbons. I hope that in the next few months moving into 2024, we will be more clear-eyed with regards to how, where, or what Agriculture should be doing to our socio-economic development as a nation.

The way and manner the industry was administered in the past 8 years is a classic example of “HOW NOT TO RUN AN AGRICULTURE SECTOR”. Looking back eight years, and considering the huge sums of money budgeted, appropriated, allocated, and disbursed is mind-boggling. I hope and pray that during the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the sector will undergo genuine and proper reforms in the Agriculture sector. I also look forward to strategic and critical thinking, professionalism, creativity and value innovation, achievement of operational excellence, integrity, attention to the welfare and wellbeing of staff, and importantly significant contribution to the national economy; over and above the transactional attitude to leadership and work which has become a corporate cultural malaise in the sector.

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THE IMPACT OF SECURITY ON FOOD SECURITY

Despite the huge financial investment in Agriculture in the past 8 years, the performance of the sector has been overall marginal insecurity and poor policy implementation. Therefore, the administration of President Tinubu needs to formulate an Agriculture sectoral reform strategy that should inculcate security as fundamental, with an all-encompassing approach to the things that need to be done to turn around this sad insecurity situation.

The critical success factor to turn around the socio-economic malaise in Nigeria is first and foremost tackling insecurity. Otherwise, any other initiative will be a “flash in the pan”. This is because the recent escalation of insecurity around the northwest, north-central, and even southeast is hampering food production, otherwise, we are taking two steps forward and three steps backward. This has significantly impacted food security. The northern part of Nigeria is the food basket of the nation and is arguably some part of the West African sub region. Farmers have gone to the farm late this year. Climate change is impacting, and the danger of food insecurity is looming. There is a need for quick actions

An example of the impact of insecurity on our Agric value chain:

GB Foods is an investor from Spain that came to Nigeria and set up in Kebbi State Nigeria; the second largest Tomatoes processing plant in Nigeria, and the only fully backward integrated tomatoes processing plant in the West African sub-region valued at over 20 Billion; employing over 1,000 Nigerians, including 500 farming jobs, 150 factory jobs, and 150 construction jobs. The plant started production in March last year when over 500 Bandits attacked the plant, kidnapped some expatriates, killed some Nigerians, and desecrated the processing plant. This caused the parent company in Spain to close the plant and lay off staff with negative socio-economic impacts on the country. There are also a lot of farmers who could not go to farm last year and this year unless they succumb to the blackmails of the bandits and terrorists before they can go to their farms in some cases the bandits and terrorists either seize the entire food produced of tale almost of the production and take ransom for the food that they leave behind for the farmers.

Accordingly, insecurity needs to be tackled head-on before significant progress can be achieved. Mr. President has a critical role to play in providing leadership, especially with regard to inter-institutional strategy and synergies.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change has been having a devastating impact on our Agriculture. Climate change management should be. A key element of the Agriculture sectoral reform strategy will be risk assessment and mitigation as well as the sustainability modules. Climate change management from the point of view of early warning systems, disaster/crisis mitigation management, and proactive countermeasures and processes that should cover dependencies and counter-dependencies are critical to the existence and sustainability of our entire agriculture value chain.

In specific terms, we must be proactive. We saw what happened last year when the Cameroun Dam crisis impacted River Benue with devastating consequences on all the farmlands along the entire farming corridor of the middle belt, the flood also wreaked havoc on the farming, fishing, and food logistics and supply chain throughout north to the southern part of Nigeria was brutal.

Therefore, the institutions that are managing our early warning systems should be proactive and consistently pragmatic so that the impacts of climate change can be mitigated and ensuing crises and disasters like floods, desertification, animal and plant diseases, etc. can be better anticipated and managed. Climate change is a phenomenon, a global issue, and a threat to national development. As part of the Agriculture intervention rolled out in July this year, Mr. President is targeting the cultivation of 500,000 hectares of land for the production of Rice, Corn, Cassava, and Wheat. This noble objective and the protection of the small, medium, and large Agricultural value change cannot be achieved we do not have a safety plan to contain insecurity and climate change.

SOME CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS

· The contribution of State Governments with regards to the development of Agriculture is a key. To that extent, the full involvement of the National Executive Council is a critical success factor.

•A well-articulated strategy that is all-encompassing and has the buy-in of critical •High execution quotient, with a transparent dashboard that will drive our Agricultural interventions in areas of finance, critical infrastructure

•Policy: What is glaringly an issue is not the lack of policies. In my opinion, the issues are the policy gaps and lack of policy coherence – there is a lot of it. Agriculture bestrides other sectors. We are talking about production, quality control, storage, logistics and supply chain, storage, value-addition, export, etc. Therefore, there are a lot of inter-agency synergy and policy cross-pollination requirements for the sector to thrive and make sustainable critical impacts.

•Policy implementation and Regulation enforcements are also critical success factors

•War against Corruption.

•Risk Assessment and Mitigations

CONCLUSION

All Nigerians, especially the critical stakeholders in the Agriculture sector should support the building of an institutionalized, professional, purposeful, resilient, and impactful Agriculture sector with strong pillars to support socio economy growth and development sustainability.

October 6, 2023
Stakeholders seek policy reforms to address challenges of climate change

Stakeholders in the agriculture sector have called for urgent policy reforms to address the challenges associated with climate change in Nigeria.

The stakeholders stated this in Abuja at a one-day Consultative Policy Workshop on Climate and Biofortification in Nigeria, organised by HarvestPlus and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

According to the stakeholders, without strategic intervention at all levels, sustainable development in the agricultural sector will continue to face significant threats at both state and national levels.

Speaking, the Country Manager, HarvestPlus Nigeria, Dr. Yusuf Dollah, said the meeting was aimed at galvanising leading policymakers, private sector leaders, and development partners to discuss the challenges and opportunities of climate-smart agriculture and biofortification in Nigeria’s food security and nutrition goals.

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Biofortification, he said, is a process involving the breeding of staple crops to include high levels of micronutrients such as iron, zinc, and Vitamin A, offers a promising solution to address the dual challenges of climate change and malnutrition, which are major challenges in Nigeria.

The Head, National Policy and Innovative Financing, HarvestPlus Washington, United States, Ms. Rewa Misra, said the outcome of the workshop will enable scaling up Nigeria’s access to climate smart agriculture, input nutrition, biofortified input, so that farmers can have access to nutrition that are also more resilient to climate change.

“There is a lot to learn for both the government and private sectors and what is important is a coordinated roadmap to help the reforms and make them practical,” she said.

Also, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), Assistant Country Representative, Abubakar Suleiman, said climate smart agriculture ensures sustainability in the use of natural resources, that means investing in technologies and innovation that improve productivity, using less input to maximise output.

He noted that no country should be left behind in the area of sustainable agricultural practices.

October 5, 2023
Pupils educated on climate change

Pupils of Junior Secondary School (JSS), Gwagwalada, Abuja, have called on citizens and the government to protect the environment against climate change.

The students, who are climate change advocates, noted that there was a need for the Federal Government to enact a law to prohibit indiscriminate felling of trees.

One of the pupils, Iduh Rejoice, who is a member of the Child Rights Advocacy Club, (CRAC) put together by Humanitarian organisation, Save the Children International (SCI) Nigeria, urged the government to enforce a law to stop improper disposal of refuse and other practise that negatively impact the environment including demolition of houses blocking water ways.

During a visit to the school, the CRAC held a panel discussion about the impact of climate change on children’s nutrition and well-being on the topic “Climate Change Impact on Nutrition, Health and Well-being.”

Another climate change advocate and pupil of JSS, Gwagwalada, Amen Magaji, said: “Why we are advocating for tree planting as part of major measures that would mitigate impact of climate change on our environment.

“We in JSS Gwagwalada are set to plant trees here and also in our premises where we live. The essence of tree planting is to reduce the impact of storms and winds affecting roofs of our school buildings. Some of our classroom blocks were damaged as a result of storms and winds occasioned by climate change.”

Also, a member of CRAC, JSS, Gwagwalada, Chukwuemeka Destiny, said: “We call on philanthropists, Government and individuals to take it upon themselves to ensure more trees are planted across the country and also schools should form alliances to plant trees.

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“We in JSS Gwagwalada have been planting trees to reduce the impact of climate change in order to safeguard our school buildings from the impact of storms.”

The Principal, JSS, Gwagwalada, Florence Okonkwo, commended Save the Children International (SCI) Nigeria for coming up with topical issues that affected children, women and the environment.

She said: “I listened to the presentation of the students and you can see that they are adequately and properly informed. These are the leaders of tomorrow so it is going to influence the decisions they’re going to be taking about the environment.”

The Advocacy and Campaign Officer, Save the Children International, Nigeria, Sharon Obijiofo said: “Climate change has been evident in the continent through the rise of temperature; more frequent extreme weather, variable rainfall, rise in sea level and flooding, drought and desertification, land degradation; affected freshwater resources and loss of biodiversity, among others.”

The duration and intensities of rainfall have increased, producing large runoffs and flooding in many places in Nigeria.”

October 4, 2023