AN official of the Federal Ministry of Environment Ms. Sa’adatu Madaki, has warned that 11 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) may be affected by 2020 if government and other stakeholders fail to urgently address climate change.
Madaki, a Senior Scientific Officer, Department of Climate Change in the ministry made this known Thursday, in Kano at a two-day Youth Climate Innovation hub for youths in the North West.
In a presentation entitled: “Overview of Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and Youth Outlooks’’ said climate change had been a threat to human, environment and the economy.
She however warned that up to 11 per cent of the country’s $411billion GDP might be lost by 2020 without adaption and mitigation measures to address the menace of climate change.
“Climate change is threatening national development across all sectors and if not addressed, it will cause loss of agriculture and increased water scarcity.
“The impact will cause damage to roads, buildings, transport and energy facilities as well as more extreme weather, floods and droughts,’’ she said.
Madaki said Nigeria as a party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in its Climate Action, had joined the global community to achieve the objective stabilising greenhouse gas.
“The country has joined to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system,’’ she said.
The official, however, urged youths in the zone to come up with viable, green, practicable, bankable and innovative ideas to address the menace of climate change in the country.
She told participants that the purpose of the meeting was to establish Youth Regional Climate Change Innovation Hub that would serve as a platform for continuous interface with young people.
“We will harvest and collate innovations and ideas that will be showcased at the UN Climate Action Summit in September, 2019.
“The summit will showcase ideas from youths who are actively taking climate action and leading innovative ideas in the area of climate change across Nigeria and beyond,’’ the official said.
According to her, the effort will further strengthen Nigeria’s position as a country member of the United Nations’ Youth Engagement and Public Mobilisation Track at the UN Secretary General Climate Action Summit in September.
Also speaking, Malam Tukur Getso, the Permanent Secretary, Kano State Ministry of Environment urged the youth to brainstorm and come up with a tangible input which would be integrated into the National Plan on Climate Change.
Getso said the state had been collaborating with the Federal Government in the implementation of the Great Green Wall Project.