Group partners with Alex Ekwueme varsity to raise awareness on climate change

A project aimed at increasing public awareness of, and engagement with, Nigeria’s climate change plan looks to inject a lungful of air into the ongoing revision process of the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which is due for submission in November.

Titled “Promoting critical analysis of, and stakeholders’ engagement with the revision of Nigeria’s NDC,” the project is being undertaken by the Centre for Climate Change and Development (CCCD) of the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike, Ikwo (AEFUNAI), Ebonyi state, with support from the World Resources Institute (WRI).

The one-year initiative that commences from July will, according to Chukwumerije Okereke, the project coordinator, help to widen the horizon of the discourse and compliment the current government led NDC revision process.

“Given that the NDC revision process has already started and is slated to be completed by November 2020, the immediate commencement of this project is highly desirable, to enable the capture of the analytical pieces and engage the public and critical stakeholders to incorporate their views into the window ending September 2020,” said

Okereke, a professor in environment and development at University of Reading in UK, and director of the AEFUNAI Centre for Climate Change and Development.

Besides commissioning insightful short analysis on several topics relevant for the Nigerian NDC as well as organising and promoting a stakeholder engagement and public debate on relevant issues, the project will embark on targeted public awareness and media campaigns to disseminate the information and stimulate the engagement of the wider public in the NDC revision and, eventually in its implementation afterwards.

According to Okereke, experts will be commissioned to write a 3,000-word article on each of the selected topics, which he listed to include: “Assessment of implementation of the original NDC and the new ambition intent”,

“Extent of alignment of the NDC with the national economic development plan”, “Energy scenarios for Nigerian’s revised NDC”, “Improving emission reduction from transport sector of Nigeria’s NDC”, “Options for promoting climate smart agriculture in the new NDC,” and “Public financial management and budgeting for the NDC”.
Others are “Public investment risks and opportunities in the NDC,”, “The potential role for private sector involvement in the NDC”, “Analysis of the adaptation components of the NDC”, “Technology, innovation need implications of the NDC”, “The NDC, post COIVD-19 economic stimulus and a just green transition”, and “Legal perspectives to raising ambition and implementing the NDC”.

A project website, blogsite and Facebook pages will be developed to promote the project.

He said all the national stakeholder dialogues to discuss the papers would be convened via webinars, which will start in July and run through to November when the NDC is due to be submitted.