President Muhammadu Buhari launched the National Council on Climate Change in a ceremony held before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council on Wednesday in Abuja. President Buhari mandated the Council to formulate relevant policies aimed at achieving green growth and sustainable economic development for the country.
He said, “It [Climate Change] is complex and dynamic; and requires multidimensional and multi-sectoral initiatives to address its impacts and avert its rapid advance. Updated data show increases in sea level rise, heat waves, wildfires, floods, desertification, drying wetlands and many more disruptive climate occurrences.
“The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report warns that rising Green House Gas emissions could soon outstrip the ability of communities to adapt, and the window for taking decisive steps needed to spare our planet from the gravest impacts of climate change is rapidly narrowing.
“We cannot ignore what is happening in our local environment. The increasing re-occurrence of floods in several parts of the country is a wakeup call”.
President Buhari chairs the Council while Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo would serve as the Council’s Vice Chairman and the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum is a member.
Other members of the Council include the Ministers for Environment; Petroleum Resources; Budget and National Planning; Mines and Steel Development; Finance; Justice; Agricultural and Rural Development; Power; Transportation; Women Affairs and Water Resources.
Others are the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria; the National Security Adviser; representatives from the National Council on Women Societies, National Youth Congress, Civil Society Organization, amongst others.
President Buhari also directed the Attorney General and Minister of Justice in partnership with the Minister of Environment to commence appropriate amendments to “noticeable implementation challenges” inherent in the Climate Change Act 2021.