Climate Watch: Nigeria failing in its obligation to protect forests

Despite directly impacting our communities, health, and livelihood, climate-related reports usually take a back seat to dominant news beats like politics and business. Climate Watch aims to ensure you never miss important stories on climate change and actions being taken towards limiting its impact.           

Here is a round-up of last week’s climate stories:

• Since the negative impacts of climate change became pronounced in Nigeria, the federal government has not relented in assuring Nigerians that they are working to ensure the impacts are reduced. This was exactly what Sharon Ikeazor, minister of state for environment was seen doing at an event last week where she stated that the federal government is working on special interventions to limit the effect of climate change on some vulnerable sectors like transportation and energy. She also said women are greatly affected by climate change, therefore they would be mostly involved in the intervention plans.  You can read more about this report here. 

• The impact of climate change is not specific to Nigeria as different African countries and indeed the world are facing different degrees of global crisis. Africa as a continent is steadily devising alternate means to help Africans survive these impacts. During the week the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), came together and decided that they would seek to lower energy prices by bringing in more sustainable investments into the sector. Vera Songwe, executive secretary at UNECA, said the commission is throwing its weight behind Africa to see to it that more sustainable energy is adopted and energy prices reduced, in order to move the continent forward. Find out how UNECA intends to achieve this here.
  
• If you pay attention to news on the environment, you would have noticed constant outcry from communities, civic societies and individuals on how Nigeria is fast losing its forest area to illegal wood logging, clearing of forest areas for agriculture or cutting down trees for charcoal. These factors and more have led to a heavy decline in Nigeria’s forest area and that is why on World Forest Day celebrated every June 22, Adewale Adeoye, the chairman of the Nigerian Human Rights Community (NHRC) said Nigeria has failed in its obligation to protect its forests. He also said Nigeria has not only failed in this area but has put the lives and livelihoods of indigenous communities at great risk as a result of their negligence and compliance with illegal elements involved in the act. Read all about it here.

• Any institution, sector or society that runs without information, stands a chance of encountering great consequences. This is why every year the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) provides information to Nigerians and by extension farmers on weather outlook for the year. This helps farmers in planning for cultivation and harvesting in order to avoid weather conditions that may affect harvest and of course ensure that you steadily have food on the table. The agency has now taken their action a step further by partnering with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to ensure it provides weather information for improved agricultural productivity and food security in the country. Find out here how this partnership would help Nigeria.