Nigeria could lose 25% of GDP to climate change, MACCI tells new minister

Media Advocacy on Climate Change Initiative (MACCI) has set a performance agenda for Muhammad Mahmood, the recently sworn-in minister of environment. 

According to MACCI, the minister of environment must be determined to do things differently with regards to issues of climate change, to save Nigeria from losing 15 to 25 percent of the GDP to the effect of climate change.

Quoting the National Adaptation Strategy and Plan of Action on Climate Change in Nigeria, MACCI added that the country will lose 15 to 25 percent of the GDP to the effect of climate change if urgent actions are delayed.

“At the moment, Nigeria is not moving fast with adaptive measures to mitigate the impact of Climate Change,” MACCI said via a statement.

“We face enormous risk if nothing is done to urgently reverse the already observable consequences of Climate Change which is already showing up in the form of extreme flooding, shortage of water in the Lake Chad regions which is causing conflict between herders and farmers.

“As a country we must put back the issues of Climate Change as an integral element for our National priority and form a common ground for adaptation of all activities required for mitigating the impact on our economy and livelihood.”

In Nigeria’s Vision 20:2020 economic transformation blueprint, climate change is recognized as having the potential to cause “damaging and irrecoverable effects on infrastructure, food production and water supplies”

Victor Emeruwa, executive director at MACCI, via a statement, called on the minister to apply urgency to the issues of reduction of greenhouse emission.

“The Minister of Environment as a matter of priority must implement the National Adaptation Strategy and Plan of Action on Climate Change in Nigeria, (NASPA-CCN) a policy document drafted since 2011. This is a comprehensive policy material that requires immediate execution.

“We urge the Minister to call a Conference of Party on the document and present a guideline and timeline for implementation of the policy.

“As signatories to several United Nations treaties on Climate Change, including the 2016 Paris Agreement, Nigeria must apply urgency to the issues of reduction of greenhouse emission, adaptation and financing.

“We therefore urge the newly appointed Minister of Environment to take leadership in addressing and prioritizing all issues of Climate Change as it affects Nigeria.”