By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
Issues of climate change-related impact in Nigeria, how to mitigate the effects such as insecurity, deforestation as well as the devastating impact on the country’s poor and the economy took centre stage at a climate change forum in Kaduna, North-Central Nigeria.
It was a gathering of cerebral personalities well-versed on the issue.
At the event were climate change and environmental experts, Interfaith Mediation Center (IMC), African Climate Reporters (ACR), and others with the parties brainstorming on various aspects of the global matter from the Nigerian perspective.
The event was tagged: ‘January Climate Hangout’.
The Climate Change and Environment desk of IMC in collaboration with the Special Assistant to the Kaduna State Government on Climate Change were the main organisers of the discussion forum.
Earlier, in a statement, the organisers expressed joy that the event had brought together key stakeholders to engage in discussions on environmental protection and climate change.
Representatives of the organizers included
Ibrahima Yakubu, Mr. Samson Auta, Mallam Hayatu Ashafa, and Hon. Yusuf Idris (Special Assistant to the Kaduna State Government on Climate Change).
“This monthly gathering will include scientists, environmentalists, geologists, medical professionals, environmental journalists, civil society organizations (CSOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as religious and traditional leaders, all of whom are working towards climate action and environmental conservation”, a statement by the organizers said.
A criminology and security expert, Mr Abel John Bassa, presented a paper on ‘Climate change and insecurity:The herders/ farmers’ clashes’, citing the phenomenon as being among occurrences causing untold hardship in the land.
Emphasis was concentrated mainly on need to engender stronger sensitization, awareness creation and enlightenment for the public to know the dangers and devastating effects of deforestation (cutting down of trees for domestic use such as cooking).
Participants, however, harped on the dire need for alternative sources for cooking food, without which any sensitization against deforestation would be fruitless.
Subsequently, they advocated reduction in price of cooking gas and the need to make kerosene readily available.
Also speaking, Hon. Idris said the state government under Governor Uba Sani was not unaware of the challenge as it is making efforts to provide alternative sources of energy for domestic use.
In an interview, Mr. Bassa explained that “we talk about climate change as a result of human activities, for example bush burning, emission of chemicals, effects on ozone layer, covering sun ray.”
He said that sensitization alone can not be enough until there is a general change of attitude, arguing that awareness without provision of alternative energy sources would render the effort fruitless.
“Government’s attitude of talking without action or implementation; people already know about some of the effects of desertification but it makes no sense to them when there’s no alternative provided.
“If government is not happy about the effects and can’t provide alternative that the common man can afford, as low as charcoal, fire wood as source of energy for cooking, awareness is useless”, he contended.
Also in an interview, Hon. Idris said the Gov. Sani administration is not unaware of the energy issue, adding that it is a global matter.
“Energy issue is a global thing. It’s happening in UK, Egypt, other countries of the world where they use firewood; in Egypt it’s due to high cost of gas,” he stated.
According to him, Gov. Sani recently trained 500 women on the use and production of what he described as ‘brigate’ as alternative source for cooking food, explaining that the process relies on agricultural waste materials.
“There are other sources of cooking material such as energy-saving stove produced in Kaduna ‘pantaker'”, he noted, adding that the governor took recourse to the option to reduce the devastating effects on the environment of the cutting down of trees for firewood and charcoal.
