By Perpetua Onuegbu
The All Progressives Congress Climate Change Network (ACCN) has called on the ruling party to formulate a clear, concise, sector-specific climate action to strengthen Nigeria’s response to the global climate crisis.
Dr Greg Odogwu, National Coordinator, ACCN, made the call of Friday in Abuja, in his remarks at the inaugural Climate Policy Dialogue organised by the the group.
The dialogue has as theme “Exploring Options for Electoral Capture of Green Voters”.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the network is a climate arm of the ruling party established within its structure as part of efforts to curb the adverse effects of climate change.
Odogwu said the APC Climate Change Network was birthed out of necessity to guide the party and country towards climate-smart solutions.
According to him, this is the time for clear, concise, sector-specific climate action.
“Let us teach our party members, and indeed the entire citizenry, how to build dams to stop the floods. Let us teach them how to produce our food in a climate-smart way and shese foods in an efficient and renewable manner.
“Let us all adopt the use of clean energy in order to prevent future carbon emission which worsens global warming and climate change.
“Most importantly, let us teach both the young and the unborn citizens how to join us to work towards a net-zero future.”
The coordinator also announced plans to present 95 recommendations to the APC leadership after the roundtable.
“These proposals, referred to as the ’95 Theses’, will be submitted as part of the party’s ongoing constitutional amendment process.
“At the close of business, we shall give them 95 reasons why they should set up a climate wing, constitutionally speaking,” he said.
Similarly, Dr Murtala Mohammed, an Environmental Expert and Consultant in his keynote called for political commitment to address Climate Change issues in Nigeria.
According to Mohammed, climate change is no longer an abstract discussion but a lived reality in Nigeria.
He therefore urged political leaders to embed climate action into party agendas and governance structures.
“How do we transform climate action from technical conversation into a political opportunity that mobilises millions of Nigerians? That is the question before us.
“Three pathways for Nigeria’s climate response include embedding green growth into political party manifestos and government policies.
“Green growth is growth that responds to climate change and is resilient. Lagos, for instance, has developed a resilience strategy to respond to emerging challenges. We need such strategies across the country.
“Secondly, mobilising young people, women, and local communities into a climate constituency that can drive solutions.
“There should be support for rural farmers and young agripreneurs through climate-smart agriculture. I am 100 per cent against GMOs,” Mohammed said.
The expert added that the third solution was building capacity and credibility for innovative and disruptive policies while fostering partnerships with civil society, the private sector, and international development agencies such as the World Bank, UNEP, and the African Development Bank.
In the same vein, Hamzat Lawal, Founder, Connected Development (CODE) and Chairman, Advisory Board, ACCN, said the platform was timely and would bring about climate action in government.
According to him, the political party has created an enabling environment for elected party officials and this platform can galvanise action from the highest decision making structure of the party organ.
“This is a time as the country goes into 2027 elections where we have millions of green voters who are particularly affected by climate change like the rural farmers.
“I believe this dialogue will help us shape what will become an agenda for a climate action that will inspire not only Nigeria, but other African countries.” (NAN)