Nigeria is at the risk of severe natural disasters exacerbated by climate change unless drastic steps are taken to wedge it.
This is according to the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) Private Sector Co-Chair, Mr Osagie Okunbor.
Osagie said Nigeria’s extensive coastline, which stretches over 830 kilometers along the Atlantic Oceanis vulnerable to climate change impacts, such as coastal erosion, flooding, and pollution.
He made the submission at NESG’ pre-30th Nigerian Economic Summit (#NES30) webinar themed “building climate resilience in Nigeria: a comprehensive approach.”
“These challenges are already causing significant socio-economic disruptions in the Niger Delta, with ocean encroachment and rising sea levels threatening homes and farmlands”, he said.
Continuing, Okunbor harped on compounded fragility risks in northern Nigeria, where desertification is accelerating environmental degradation and threatening livelihoods.
“Similarly, in the southeast, erosion is damaging road infrastructure and threatening food security, with farmlands being ravaged by gully complexes.
He stressed the need for comprehensive infrastructure development, ecosystem management, community engagement, and international cooperation to ensure Nigeria’s sustainable development and climate security”.
In a remark , Minister of Environment, Mr. Balarabe Abbas Lawal represented by an Assistant Director , Monitoring and Evaluation at the Federal Ministry of Environment, Mr Simon Ezinkwo emphasized that Nigeria faces significant threats from climate change, which adversely impacts both the economy and the environment.
Ezinkwo stressed that addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive approach, including the development of climate-smart and resilient infrastructure.
He highlighted the importance of collective action in building a sustainable future and underscored the need for robust environmental policies, regulations, and sustainable land management practices to address the root causes of climate vulnerability
