By Chinyere Anyanwu
Youths across Africa have been enjoined to rise and take decisive action to tackle the challenge of climate change, which poses enormous threat to the future of the continent.
Mr. Emeka Obasi Jnr., the founder and Lead of “Our Tomorrow”, an NGO, made the call recently at the unveiling of the organisation in Lagos. Obasi, who believes that the “effort to improve the environment should be championed by the youth because the world of tomorrow belongs to us,” stated that his NGO, Our Tomorrow, is determined to be an active player in the fight against environmental degradation, adding, “I’m committed to getting the youth of Africa to commit to this noble endeavour.”
The 21-year-old undergraduate, who decried the activities of multinational corporations in Africa noted that, “our continent is being ravaged by multinational corporations which are extracting resources without adequate consideration for the environment. The youth of Africa must rise up against this injustice and save the environment for our tomorrow.”
Obi, while lauding past generations of the continent, including Nnamdi Azikiwe, Kwame Nkrumah, Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello, Julius Nyerere, and Nelson Mandela, among others, who fought to end colonialism, said, “for me, I believe that saving Africa from the ravages of climate change is the great challenge of our generation. I’m elated to lead that fight and I’m counting on you as proud African youth to join. I am confident that you will not disappoint.”
Painting a grim picture of the consequences of neglecting the fight against this challenge, Obi warned that, “global warning is expected to melt Africa’s remaining glaciers in the next few decades, and the reduction in water essential to agricultural production will cause food insecurity, poverty and population displacement.”