Senate President Akpabio Vows to Secure Climate Change Funds for Nigeria from Global Parliamentary Body
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has expressed his commitment to securing funds from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) to address the adverse impacts of climate change in Nigeria.
As an executive committee member of the IPU, a global organization of parliamentarians, Akpabio revealed that the IPU has earmarked a substantial budget of $30 billion for combatting climate change.
He intends to leverage his position during the upcoming 28th Conference of Parties (COP) in Dubai, UAE, to secure a portion of these funds for Nigeria.
During an interactive session with the Nigerian Ecological Office’s management at the Senate complex in Abuja, Akpabio highlighted the urgency of addressing climate change-induced losses and damages in Nigeria.
The COP is a pivotal global forum on climate change involving 198 member countries, and the forthcoming COP28 in Dubai from November 30 to December 12 provides a strategic opportunity for intervention.
Akpabio emphasised the devastating impact of climate change in Nigeria, particularly citing the recent widespread flooding.
He attributed the severity of flooding to the periodic opening of dams in neighbouring Cameroon, which leads to destructive water surges affecting various regions, including Bayelsa, Ondo, and Akwa Ibom.
The Senate President empathised with communities forced to relocate due to climate change, describing them as internally displaced persons without the presence of war.
Expressing concern over the insufficient funding allocated to address climate change, Akpabio acknowledged the Permanent Secretary of the Ecological Project Office, Shehu Ibrahim’s, complaints about the agency’s financial constraints.
Ibrahim revealed that the ecological office receives a monthly allocation of between N2 to N3 billion from the federal government to tackle climate change effects.
However, this amount falls significantly short of the trillions of naira required to address the numerous requests documented by the agency, exacerbating public misconceptions about the agency’s budget.
Ibrahim identified a critical challenge in fostering collaboration between federal, state, and local governments to pool resources and effectively address climate change impacts.
He urged for increased coordination to align efforts and bridge the financial gap in combating the multifaceted challenges posed by climate change.
Source: Premium Times
