Business Post Nigeria

Tag: climate change issues

  • Climate Finance: The Urgency of Climate Action in Nigeria

    Climate Finance: The Urgency of Climate Action in Nigeria

    By Grace Oluchi Mbah

    Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is facing a critical challenge: climate change. The country is highly vulnerable to the devastating impacts of a warming planet, including extreme weather events like floods and droughts, rising sea levels, and ecological disruptions. These changes threaten not only Nigeria’s environment but also its economic growth, social development, and overall well being.

    There was a time when we could reasonably predict the weather in Nigeria. Rainy and dry seasons arrived at specific periods in the year, allowing for preparation, especially among rural farmers. By monitoring the seasons, farmers could cultivate crops and achieve bountiful harvests.

    Nigeria’s rainy seasons have changed. Once a land of consistent rain, the country now experiences more intense downpours followed by longer dry periods. This disrupts agricultural production, leading to food insecurity. Floods caused by heavy rains destroy crops and infrastructure, displacing communities. Since September 2022, the worst floods in a decade have affected 3.2 million people across Nigeria, of whom an estimated 60 per cent are children. Anambra, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Jigawa States have seen the highest numbers of displaced persons.

    In Northern Nigeria, conflict may have continued to drive population displacement, disrupt livelihood activities, and restrict market access. However, the region’s suffering intensifies due to its particular vulnerability to droughts caused by rising temperatures and reduced rainfall. Lake Chad, a vital source of water for millions, is shrinking at an alarming rate. Since the 1960s, the lake has shrunk by around 90 per cent. This recession of water is a result of both reduced precipitation induced by climate change and the development of modern irrigation systems for agriculture, alongside the increasing human demand for freshwater.

    Coastal cities like Lagos face the risk of inundation due to rising sea levels. This saltwater intrusion contaminates freshwater sources and threatens coastal ecosystems. Erosion caused by rising sea levels destroys infrastructure and can displace populations. If global warming exceeds 2°C, Lagos State is predicted to see a 90cm rise in sea level by 2100.

    Some other current climate change issues in Nigeria include frequent and intense heat waves, deforestation, overgrazing, and extreme weather events that contribute to land degradation. There is no doubt that Nigeria faces a real climate change challenge. It is imperative that the government and other stakeholders put in place mitigation and adaptation projects, such as developing renewable energy sources and reducing emissions, as well as adaptation efforts, including building resilient infrastructure and fostering community resilience, to curb climate change challenges in Nigeria.

    A solution to Nigeria’s rising climate change challenge is climate finance. Climate finance refers to local, national and transnational financing that is drawn from public, private and alternative sources of financing that seeks to support mitigation and adaptation actions that will address climate change. Climate finance plays a critical role in empowering developing nations like Nigeria to combat climate change. It provides the much-needed resources to implement mitigation and adaptation strategies that safeguard the environment and bolster climate resilience.

    While Nigeria has ambitious climate goals enshrined in its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – a pledge under the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions –  achieving them hinges on a crucial factor: climate finance.

    Climate finance serves as a crucial instrument for Nigeria to confront its climate change challenges. It encompasses various funding sources, that includes, multilateral aid in form of grants and concessional loans provided by developed countries and international organizations. Investments from banks, insurers, and asset managers in climate-smart projects that emanate as private sector investment and carbon pricing mechanisms which are revenue generated from carbon taxes or emissions trading schemes.

    By effectively deploying climate finance, Nigeria can invest in renewable energy sources like solar and wind power which can lessen reliance on fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Funds can be directed towards strengthening infrastructure to withstand extreme weather events, developing climate-resistant crop varieties, and improving early warning systems. Support for the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices that enhance food security and reduce deforestation can also be achieved.

    The Funding Gap and the Urgency for Action

    Nigeria’s current climate finance scenario paints a concerning picture. Estimates suggest the country receives around $1.9 billion annually, a far cry from the estimated $17.7 billion required to meet its NDC targets by 2030. This significant funding gap translates to a lack of resources for crucial climate action initiatives.

    The consequences of inaction are dire. Studies by the Department for International Development (DFID) indicate that climate change could cost Nigeria between 6% and 30% of its GDP by 2050. This economic strain, coupled with environmental degradation and social upheaval, could significantly destabilize the nation.

    Bridging the climate finance gap necessitates a multi-pronged approach involving various stakeholders:

    • Public Sector: The Nigerian government must prioritize climate finance allocation within its budget. Innovative mechanisms like carbon taxes and green bonds can be explored to generate additional revenue for climate projects.

    • Private Sector: The private sector has a vital role to play. Banks and financial institutions need to develop financial products that incentivize investments in low-carbon and climate-resilient technologies. Additionally, corporations should factor climate risk into their decision-making processes and invest in sustainable practices.

    • International Community: Developed nations have a responsibility to support developing countries like Nigeria in their climate efforts. Fulfilling pledges made under international agreements like the Green Climate Fund is crucial.

    Despite the challenges, there are positive developments on the Nigerian climate finance landscape. In November 2021, The Climate Change bill was signed into law by President Buhari in order to provide Nigeria with a legal framework for climate action, fostering transparency and accountability in climate finance management. Nigeria also issued sovereign green bonds to finance renewable energy projects, demonstrating a commitment to sustainable development.

    Nigeria’s climate action journey will require sustained efforts and strategic partnerships. Some key areas for focus are:

    • Enhancing Transparency and Accountability:  Clear reporting mechanisms and robust governance structures are essential to ensure that climate funds are used effectively and efficiently.

    • Capacity Building:  Building domestic expertise in climate finance management is crucial. Training programs and knowledge-sharing initiatives can equip stakeholders with the necessary skills to navigate the complexities of climate finance.

    • Unlocking Private Sector Investment:  Creating an attractive environment for private sector investment in climate solutions, through policy incentives and de-risking mechanisms, is essential.

    Climate change is an existential threat to Nigeria, but it also presents an opportunity for transformation. By mobilizing adequate climate finance, Nigeria can build a low-carbon and climate-resilient future. This will require a collective effort from the government, private sector, and international community. With decisive action and innovative solutions, Nigeria can not only safeguard its environment but also  secure a sustainable and prosperous future for its citizens.

    Grace Oluchi Mbah is the co-founder and Executive Director at Climate Action Africa

  • African PR Practitioners Must Prevent Western Propaganda on Climate Change

    African PR Practitioners Must Prevent Western Propaganda on Climate Change

    By Anthony Elikene

    Wikipedia says “Climate Change occurs when changes in earth’s climate system result in new weather patterns that remain in place for an extended period. This length of time can be as short as a few decades to as long as millions of years.”

    In a simpler explanation, Climate Change is the rise in average surface temperatures on earth. Also called Global Warming, Climate Change is the biggest threat to the world and mankind – this is beyond the environment.

    What causes Climate Change? The western Public Relations firms and media have developed several explanatory narratives that seek to exonerate the West (Europe and America) of complicity in the deterioration of our collective planet.

    Some of the causes of Climate Change these Western PR outfits and media postulate are:

    Greenhouse Effect, which is warming when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from earth towards space.

    Using the word ‘Humans’ to replace Europe or the West, by this, they make it an all involving culprit (we all did it together). You find narratives such as “in the mid-20th century, human expansion of the Greenhouse Effect.

    Another narrative is “Human activities are changing the natural greenhouse. Over the last century, the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil has increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). To a lesser extent, the clearing of land for agriculture, industry, and other human activities has increased concentrations of Greenhouse gases.” – NASA Global Climate Change

    Other minor narratives are: “The warming is caused by a more active sun… since 1750, the average amount of energy coming from the sun either remained constant or increased slightly.” – NASA.

    The United Nations, in its “Fifth Assessment Report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of 1,300 independent scientific experts from countries all over the world under the auspices of the United Nations, concluded there’s a more than 95 percent probability that human activities over the past 50 years have warmed our planet.” – UN.

    These Western narratives are spins of logical truth but not the ultimate truth.

    The ultimate truth will be used to disarm these tactical lies and they are as follow:

    Logically, it is correct to say humans contributed greatly to the Climate Change issues but the ultimate truth is that the West (Europe and America) unilaterally caused these problems through several activities in the guise of science and warfare. NASA space activities; nuclear activities; unnecessary global warfare to colonize the rest of the world; inventions of destructive weaponry; invention and use of biological weapons; over mining and destroying of the earth’s core for minerals; production of carbon-emitting cars and generators; commercial production of chemicals, and industrial pollution of the environment among others.

    In a recent CNN report on Climate Change, experts said Africa’s contributions to the Climate Change problem is less than one percent (1%) but failed to say Europe and America’s contributions are ninety-nine plus percent (99+%).

    The less than one percent (1%) the experts identified are largely not from Africans but from European corporations and industries that would stop at nothing from exploiting the natural reserves in Africa. These activities and the dumping of Western originated toxic wastes in Africa will cause environmental problems.

    The West, through NASA, also blamed the sun’s increased warming effect claiming it started since 1750. According to Eric Hobsbawm, “the European industrial revolution began in Britain in the 1780 and was not fully felt until the 1830s or 1840s” while T.S. Ashton held that it occurred roughly between 1760 and 1830.

    According to Britannica, from December 5 to 9, 1952, there was the Great Smog of London, this was the name used to describe the combination of industrial pollution and high-pressure weather conditions. People could not see themselves on the streets due to the thickness of the smoke pollution which destroyed the environment and all these activities damaged the Oxone Layer as it cut across Europe. The UN science experts’ findings are correct in the sense that 95 percent Climate Change issues are caused by humans but failed to identify the humans were Europeans and Americans.

    The destruction of the Oxone Layer started a long time ago in Europe and America when Africa was all jungle with the cleanest ecosystem on earth. The African system of subsistent agriculture did not allow them to over hunt, over fish, overuse the soil, until Europe colonized Africa and changed everything.

    Colonialism was an attempt to forcefully create a new market for the Western products and exploit the rich resources of Africa especially as Europe was in economic turmoil. But the narrative played was that they brought Western education and Christianity to save Africa when Africa was already very rich without mentioning the millions of Africans killed and enslaved for the commercial benefits of Europe and America.

    The effects of Western-caused Climate Change issues are being felt in Southern parts of Africa as reported by CNN. Even though Africa is an agrarian society, it is paying the price of commercialization and capitalism tendencies of the West.

    Today, Europe is experimenting on the commercial production of solar energy cars, leaving Africa to suffer the damage they created while they seek solutions for themselves. A Tesla car goes for about $135,000 but it won’t get to Africa for decades, maybe not this century, as the West only shares what it doesn’t need at a price.

    The Public Relations practitioners in Africa should brace up and be proactive to tell the true stories of Climate Change before the Western propaganda portrays Africa as the cause of Climate Change issues.

    Sympathizers of everything Western might come to the defence of the West, but they should remember that a people that blame the sun and everything else for what they did will not think twice to blame a continent they have exploited and branded negatively for centuries.

    Anthony Elikene ANIPR is the Strategist at Brandfit PR & Events