The chairman of the House of Representatives committee on media and public affairs, Akintunde Rotimi, said that Nigeria now ranked as one of the most vulnerable countries in the area of climate change around the world.
Rotimi said this is evident in the several challenges the country faces including flooding, drought, food insecurity, erosion, extreme temperature, and even conflicts due to resource scarcity and struggle.
He was delivering a keynote address titled the role of the Nigerian media in reporting environmental and climate induced conflict at a world press freedom day training organised by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development with the support of Konrad Adenauer Shifting in Abuja.
He said that “in February, the country experienced an intensive heat wave that left many asking the question: “Did God open hell’s gate and leave us to roast?” But no, the gates of hell were not opened by God, but perhaps, by humans whose activities have made heat waves 10 times more likely in places like Nigeria and other countries around the equator.”
Drawing a nexus between climate chane and conflict, Rotimi said: “The heat wave is just one of the surface impacts that we feel and experience, but the problem runs deep. In different parts of the country, climate change is exacerbating the root causes of conflict.
“The constant move of herders southwards in search of greener pastures, the drying up of Lake Chad, the struggle amongst kinsmen in oil producing communities, have all degenerated into tensions, maiming, killing and uncountable fatalities.
“The nexus between climate change and conflicts in Nigeria is established in literature. For example, a 2023 Study showed that the increasing land surface temperature in Nigeria’s Mid-Benue Trough is increasing the fatalities linked to the conflicts between herders and farmers. The nexus is clear.
“As the earth gets warmer, its surface gets hotter and drier, leading to desertification which in turn reduces arable land, pasture and water bodies available to farmers, herders, fishermen and other land users.
“This makes conflict imminent and corroborates HomerDixon’s theory which postulates that “environmental change is at the forefront of scarcity which alters the society’s socio-political fabric, disrupts production and leads to violent conflict.”
“Similarly, flooding which is exacerbated by climate change is one of the most devastating and frequently occurring natural hazards that Nigeria faces.
“The 2022 Nigeria floods affected many parts of the country. From the Federal Government Data, the floods displaced over 1.4 million people, killed over 603 people, and injured more than 2,400 people. About 82,035 houses were damaged, and 332,327 hectares of land had also been affected.
“While Nigeria typically experiences seasonal flooding, this flood was the worst in the country since the 2012 floods. Climate change has been implicated as the main cause”.
He said further that “flooding worsens the humanitarian crisis in Nigeria. It leads to significant internal displacement of people and this increases the risk of violence and social tension in the receiving communities.
“It also leads to food crises and insecurity as small holder farmers which make up 80% of Nigeria’s cultivators are most affected. Maybe the temperatures would have been lower, the lands and rivers would not be drier and the floods would not consume us if we preserved most of our fauna. We probably would not have as much conflict too!
“According to the Global Forest Watch, Nigeria loses an average of 163,000 hectares of natural forest annually – causing the extinction of distinctive flora such as our symbolic national flower, the Costus Spectabili It is hypothesised that countries with high levels of deforestation are more likely to experience domestic armed conflict due to the aftermaths of drastic land use changes and resource depletion.”
On press freedom, he said the House was committed to working with the media to promote the preservation of freedom of expression and the press by reviewing of laws and practices that restrict press freedom and the ability of the media to carry out its constitutional role.
He said further that the House will world with the media to enhance good governance practices, transparency and accountability through media chats, public hearings, townhall meetings, etc., amongst others
He said the theme for the 2024 World Press Freedom day which is ‘A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis’ alludes to the critical role that journalists play in creating necessary awareness at a time the world is battling some of the worst impacts of climate change.
