The Director of Centre for Climate Change and Development Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke has expressed dismay over the negligence of the local people in intervention efforts on climate change adaptation and mitigation in Nigeria.
Prof. Okereke stated this during the final stakeholders’ workshop organized to share the key findings of the project on understanding the effectiveness of Local Communities in taking necessary action through locally-led adaptation (LLA) which started in 2022 with sponsorship from Africa Policy Research Institute (APRI) Berlin, Germany in close collaboration with the Centre for Climate Change and Development (CCCD) AE-FUNAI and the Department of Climate Change (DCC) Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigeria, held at Chida International Events Centre, Utako, Abuja.
Prof Chukwumerije Okereke lamented over what he described as “over-concentration” of intervention efforts at the national and sub-national levels at the negligence of the local people who are sometimes the most vulnerable. He pointed out that the often-neglected local people possess potentials such as intelligence and resourcefulness in innovating ways of adapting to climate change. These potentials, he said, must not be overlooked by policymakers.
Prof. Okereke cautioned against Mal-Adaptation which causes more problems in the bid to introduce adaptation strategies.
According to him, adaptation strategies should be context-specific and context-sensitive if they must effectively address existing problems.
He encouraged capacity building of human resources through training and re-training so as to achieve country and community ownership for sustenance of project results and recommended practices.
The final stakeholders’ workshop was attended by the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Environment ably represented by Dr Iniobong Abiola-Awe, Director, Department of Climate Change (DCC), Dr Abimbola Olumide, the Executive Director, APRI-Berlin, Dr Grace Mbungu , Head of Climate Change Program, APRI-Berlin, Prof Chukwumerije Okereke, Director CCCD AE-FUNAI, Prof Chinedum Uzoma Nwajiuba, immediate past Vice Chancellor, AE-FUNAI.
Other participants were representatives from civil society organizations (CSOs), policymakers, think tanks from the Academia, and representatives of student groups.
The APRI project report was presented and launched by the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Environment ably represented by Dr Iniobong Abiola-Awe, Director, Department of Climate Change (DCC).