Dr Samuel Adejuwon, the Chairman, Digital Environmental System Management, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has advised the Federal Government to give priority to climate change issues.
Adejuwon, who is also a climatologist, gave the advice on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
He said that the importance of such priority was to enable government address climate change issues effectively in the country.
“My advice to the Federal Government is that it should give more attention to the issue of climate change.
“Government should see it as a priority because no matter how well it planned without a special focus on climate change issues, the plan might not go as desired.
Government needed effective collaboration with relevant stakeholders both in Nigeria and abroad to enable it tackle climate change issues in the country.
”This is because any climate related disaster that the country may experiences will definitely affect everyone.
It is true that the government had involved in several programmes on climate change issues but there are no funds to implement the outcomes of such efforts.
“Government needs to release more funds, give more attention to the issue, and then see climate change as a development issue, not just a mere issue.
“Not only government anyway, climate change issue concerns everyone, there is the need for Nigerians at this time to take steps in tackling this problem before it gets out of hands.
“We need to be able to take decisions and make plans if we are to leave something for the next generation,’’ he said.
Adejuwon said that good climate change could only be achieved through a robust institutional framework in the country.
According to him, the advanced countries have established research institutions on climate change and environment issues to mitigate the effects of climate change.
He added that institutions had brought together international experts on economics, finance, geography and the environment among others to deliberate on the issue.
According to him, the essence of this is to establish a world leading centre for policy development in respect of research, teaching and training in climate change and environment.
The chairman said that such efforts would not only help to tackle climate change but would also positively touch other relevant issues that could enhance development in the country.
According to him, if the government gives priority to climate change, it will bring a lot of development, which will also attract foreign investors to the country. (NAN)