World’s Environmental Day: Nigeria’s Fears, Gains & Expectations – By Emmanuel Ajibulu

Posted by admin Articles, Columnists, Emmanuel Ajibulu, NNP Columnists Friday, June 10th, 2011

By Emmanuel Ajibulu, Abuja, Nigeria – June 10, 2011 – In recognising the World Environment Day, we need to intensify our efforts in remembering our commitments to the world in which we live, and it is about thinking long and hard about how to discourage the attitude of deforestation ( safe the timber ) work towards making our environment green, and habitable for the ecological health and to implement measures to reduce the harmful effects of climate change in and around out environment. In 2007, just four years ago, the International Panel on Climate Change produced a report that confirmed that climate change is a reality, and warned the world against the likelihood and possible consequences of this human induced global environmental problem. We know that if mitigation does not start right now, the cost of adaptation in twenty or thirty years may be something that the poorest countries of the world will not be able to afford. I will speak a little more about the impacts on the poor in a moment.

Fairly, Nigeria has shown some measure of commitments to the protection of the environment as a key part of sustainable development. This approach is an extremely smart one and shows that our country has a strong commitment to the fight against climate change. This excellent move has been dispassionately demonstrated in most states of the federation especially in the South and other parts of the country, at least that I know of. Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, his Ondo State counterpart Dr Olusegun Mimiko and in Ogun State through the immediate past Governor of the State Otunba Gbenga Daniel, etc, they all put in commendable measures in sustaining our environment to meeting acceptable global standards. Available facts also show that His Excellency President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has vowed to engage himself very actively in the fight against climate change through the Ministry of the Environment and this was also contained in his electioneering campagins throughout the 36 States plus the FCT. The Ministry of information and our local media also have a lot to do in making our people buy into this excellent move, by shaping their attitudes to achieving desirable results.

Moreover, I was extremely impressed with steps taken by some corporate organisations towards the sustenance of the virtues of fight against climate change. One of them is Optima Sports Management International (OSMI). One may wonder why a company like this will judiciously tailor some of its corporate social responsibility tasks in a direction like this. We can recall that Optima Sports Management International, OSMI (sports subsidiary of the Optima Media Group, a Lagos-based organisation) last year June, 2010 secured television rights to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. A broadcasting initiative which has been classified best in Sub-Saharan Africa and arguably best in the entire Africa, in the world of sports broadcasting. Rotimi Pedro, the organisation’s managing director, has conspicuously and consistently demonstrated that his leadership qualities is quite an enviable one, worthy of emulation. Other corporate organisations need to borrow from this purposeful initiative. However, it wont be out of place if United Nations could support us in this global effort by assisting in channelling relevant technologies, capacities and resources to achieving the set objectives in the interest of all.

Climate change raises real questions about our shared commitment to human rights and what it means to be part of a single human community. It is a reminder that, in a world that sometimes appears fractured and divided; we share one thing in common: the planet Earth. We owe it to future generations – our children and their grandchildren – to act now to reduce these risks. The principle of universal human rights demands that we act now. When tackling an issue as complex as global warming and all other environmental hazards, it is easy to lose sight of the human face of climate change. Climate change should actually renew our commitment to the poor states. The world’s poor have one thing in common: they did not create the climate crisis now facing humanity, yet they will suffer the earliest and most destructive impacts.

For almost 3 billion people in the world – some 40 percent of the planet’s population – living on less than $2 a day, global warming will erode the gains built up over generations, not just in poverty reduction, but in health, education, nutrition and many other areas. We know that events such as droughts and floods will become more frequent, intense and disruptive as a result of climate change. When droughts, floods or storms strike vulnerable people are forced to sell off productive assets, withdraw children from school, and cut back on nutrition and health spending.

We can all win the battle against climate change. It falls to our generation to confront what is perhaps the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced. The World’s Environment has never had to deal with such a threat before. The opportunities to increase international cooperation around this issue, to support national governments and local communities to implement change, to build resilience and to forge a collective, multilateral response to the threat are real. We should use our positions, or connections, or influence, our knowledge, our technical capacity and resources to do things differently and smarter.
My message on this World Environment Day is also one that is echoed by our Secretary General Mr Ban Ki Moon, that “We are all part of the solution”. If we remember this, we will have the opportunity to contribute to real change for the benefit of our World’s Environment and particularly the poorest of our global community, who depend on it for their livelihood. I wish all my readers prosperity, good health and best wishes on this 2011 World Environment Day.

God bless Nigeria!

Emmanuel Ajibulu is a social commentator based in FCT Abuja, Nigeria.wp_posts