By EricJames Ochigbo
Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, Director-General of the National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) has tasked media practitioners on mainstreaming climate change policies.
Sulaiman made the call at a two-day workshop on the “Role of media in mainstreaming climate change policies” organised by Niger State Government.
Represented by the General Manager, Democracy Radio, Mr Kudu Abubakar, Sulaiman said the call became necessary to galvanise efforts to avert calamitous consequences of climate change in Nigeria and beyond.
“It is laudable that Nigeria has passed the climate change Act and also established the National Council for Climate Change (NCCC).
“This organisation is expected to be both the driver or and regulator of climate change issues and policies.
“Therefore, to avoid the calamitous consequences of climate change in Nigeria and beyond, it behoves the media and indeed parliamentary correspondents and in this case, the House of Representatives Press Corps to join the vanguard of mainstreaming climate change policies in Nigeria,” he said.
Sualiman said that it was the only way the parliamentarians, including the executive arm and other professionals to realise the goals and achieve the stated climate change policies of the United Nations.
Some of the resource persons at the workshop, who also challenged media practitioners, shared dangers of climate change and tips on how to address the menace.
A former member of the House of Representatives, Mr Sam Onuigbo, said that climate change was contributing to insecurity in the country.
According to him, Nigeria lost $6 billion to the 2022 flood following the devastation of farm lands, farmer/harder clashes which is due to climate change; therefore, food and national security are challenged.
Onuigbo, who sponsored the Climate Change Bill (now an Act), said if special actions were not taken, the economy would be so devastated and it would be too difficult to recover.
He said that monies that would have been used to develop the country were being put into recovering from the effects of climate change.
He tasked journalists to engage and seek funding from donor agencies for the required empowerment, to put climate change issues on the front burner and cause appropriate actions.
Also, Dr Uche Anunne, Assistant Editor-in-Chief with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), enumerated some challenges on mainstreaming climate change.
In a paper titled “Effective reporting of green economy: The prospects and challenges”, Anunne said important that you hold lawmakers accountable for legislations on green economy.
“Are they demonstrating enough commitment to green economy? It is also imperative that you track green economy- related public budgets and financing.
“Are we paying a lip service to it or properly budgeting for it? What per cent of what is proposed in the budget was approved and what per cent was released.
“What is the budget performance? What are the related agencies of government doing to ensure the implementation of green economy-related laws? How about Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and development partners,” he said. (NAN)
