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| Picture source: seaart.ai |
The
Plateau State Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Mineral Development
hosted the Plateau Climate Assembly. It was a gathering of Plateau people from
across the country to study the Plateau State policy on the climate agenda, a
policy document that is praised for being the only one of its kind across
Africa. There was the need to study the document to identify possible loopholes
that would need to be sealed before it is passed into law. That was the
aim of the assembly.
For
many, it is something that aims to re-energize the pride they have always had
for Plateau State. Plateau State built for itself the reputation of being a
forerunner throughout the forty-nine years of its history. We see this in its
iconic schools, its role in the development of the media in northern Nigeria,
its role in its contribution to sports development in Nigeria, not forgetting
its vibrant urban culture that others wished they had.
So, how
did Plateau end up with a document that is the onliest across Africa?
It surely comes from the calibre of the Commissioner of the Ministry of
Environment, Climate Change and Mineral Development, Peter Kanang Gwom. He is a
man who understands that politics is a power struggle, but that power is a
means to an end, rather than the end itself. He is known to be restless when
there is inactivity in the ministry, contrary to what is obtainable in other
places, where people are paid and expected to be thankful for not doing
anything, while they get paid.
The
desire to get things done saw Honourable Gwom travelling around the world,
attending meetings with hues of environmental discussion. These global
interactions and connections surely paved the way for the idea of the Plateau
Policy on Climate Change, something that is sure to radiate across the country
and Africa at large.
When
the Plateau Policy on Climate Change is eventually passed into law, the action
of plugging into the fight against climate change and mitigating its impact is
expected to begin.
Across
Nigeria, the World Bank is currently training people on social and
environmental standards. This is a training that had been conducted in the
past, but the World Bank is repeating it because it observes that Nigerians are
not ploughing into the global climate efforts. Thus, passing the Plateau policy
document into law is only the first hurdle.
What
has been responsible for the inability of Nigerians to join the war against
climate change, despite the agonizing experience of the impact of climate
change? We have seen it in the desperation of herders trying to find fresh
grazing lands, having been driven by desertification in the north of the
country. We have seen it in alien crop diseases and irregular rainfall patterns
that are frustrating agricultural yields. We have seen it in the floods that
buried our towns and cities in the past couple of years. Thus, it is shocking
why Nigerians continue to dawdle over the climate issue.
Educated
people blame the uneducated for not believing the reality of climate change. It
is a case of the kettle describing the pot as grimy. It is the duty of the
educated to enlighten the uneducated to believe the reality of climate change,
even if it means doing so in their native languages –not having formal
education is not an implication of dysfunctional mental faculties.
The
onus rests solely on us, the educated. The educated demography in the private
domain must support the government to shape policies that accelerate our
efforts towards mitigating the impact of climate change. The educated private
sector must support government efforts to end cutting down trees for firewood
and charcoal, activities that exacerbate the damage to our environment. The
private sector must support governments in the area of setting up environmetal grant makers in the country to encourage innovators working to bring green alternatives that
replace technologies that impair our environment.
While
nations are setting dates for bidding farewell to the use of fossil fuels,
governments across the country request support to not just key in but also find
alternative sources of income when the transition is finally actualized.
Geological explorations must aim to find safer mineral alternatives, which will
be exploited and used responsibly.
We are
already late on the climate issue.
