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Analysis by Oboh Linus, Lafia
Climate change issues, no doubt take centre stage in world politics as it prominently features and continues to shape public discourse toward sustainable implementation of climate policies.
Nigeria like every other country has a couple of policies on climate change, which are geared toward mitigating its impacts on humanity and the ecosystem respectively.
Despite these policies, Africa’s most populous nation is facing huge climate problems because of the lack of political will on the part of the government to fully implement these policies.
Sadly, the failure to effectively implement the climate policies has worsened Nigeria’s ranking among countries that are seriously taking climate action as it placed Nigeria 158 out of 182 countries on climate vulnerability as of 2023, according to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative Index.
Analysts said fighting climate change goes beyond talking and formulation of policies on paper, saying that it needs shared commitment from the leaders, citizens and right budgetary provisions for sustainable implementation.
They said that Nigeria had a fair share of environmental and ecological challenges like flooding, erratic rainfall patterns, erosion, heat waves, air pollution, poor energy, and deforestation that left visible scars on its citizenry.
They alleged that some political leaders in the past had treated climate change issues with levity as ecological funds set aside by governments toward addressing environmental and climate emergencies are often misappropriated.
Climate Analysts attributed the lack of political will to effectively implement climate policies and action plans to the failure of electorates over the years to use their voting powers to elect climate-friendly politicians.
They stressed the need for registered voters in Nigeria to realign themselves toward voting for climate if they want to achieve a sustainable environment.
In light of this, they opined that to hold political leaders accountable for their climate inactions, the voters should change the narrative by giving their mandates and support to the candidates with climate-friendly disposition.
An Environmental Expert and Executive Director, Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation, Dr David Michael said voting for climate matters, especially in Nigeria where the political will for climate actions is conspicuously lacking.
Dr Michael described climate change as a global issue impacting the globe, socio-economic, food security and security, noting that it directly links to social issues currently ravaging Nigeria.
He said that climate change is already impacting food security in the country and making the Nigerians vulnerable due to late rainfall and long dry spells being witnessed this year.
He underscored the need for voters to henceforth prioritise their support and vote for the politicians who have understood the importance of climate actions.
“Voting for climate change matters because when you vote for climate and environmental friendly politicians they will come out with the right policies.
“They will come with the right budgetary provisions to ensure that we build climate resilience in Nigeria to overcome some of the impacts of climate change and some of the social and economic impacts of climate change we are facing today.
“When you vote a climate denial into office the chances are that he will be silent about climate change. And you can imagine the impacts that we already experienced,” he emphasised.
He stressed the need for states to domesticate climate change policies of the federal government and work toward their implementation to mitigate impacts at the state level.
“Fighting climate change is not by talking, is not just having policies, it requires resources – right budgetary provisions and implementation.
“The hunger protest that ended not long ago, although a lot of people will read political meaning to it, if there was no hunger there would be no basis for people to take political advantage of the situation.
“So, we need those politicians who will help guide the light for the nation to build climate resilience and we can only achieve that when we vote for the right candidates,” he said.
On Edo and Ondo Governorship elections, he enjoined the registered voters to do themselves good by voting for those candidates who would come out publicly to declare and state their climate action plans.
“Climate change is impacting Edo and Ondo states greatly, both states witness floods annually, climate change will impact democracy that clearly shows when the INEC office in Edo State was flooded earlier this year and a lot of election materials were destroyed.
“In Ondo State, the Aiyetoro community is experiencing sea level rise, the community has lost nearly 70 percent of its lands to water. The people of Ondo must and should demand climate action by voting for the right candidate.
“Voters should demand climate action plans when going around for campaigning because it is an issue that directly impacts their lives and livelihoods, they have the power to speak with their vote and they should vote right,” he advised.
Dr Mohammed Kabiru Dahiru, A Senior Lecturer at the Federal University Lafia, posited that climate change is the bane of environmental sustainability without which no meaningful development can be achieved.
Dr Dahiru, a climate change expert who is also an acting Head of the Geography Department said that climate change has far-reaching implications for the survival and well-being of humanity.
He says it is appropriate to vote for politicians who are conscious of climate change challenges to ensure they provide opportunities to contribute either through legislation or policy implementation towards reducing its impacts on citizens.
He emphasised the need to conscientize people as well as encourage them to vote for the candidates who have interest and good intentions toward climate actions in Nigeria.
“Climate change is human-induced to a large extent, since it is a human-induced problem, it needs humans to work towards ensuring that the problem is alleviated to a large extent to enjoy meaningful development, well-being and socio-economic sustainability,” he said.
Envoh Okolo, Coordinator for Nasarawa State Network on Environment Climate Justice, says voting for climate is long overdue in Nigeria, considering the quantum of climate change impacts on the environment and its socio-economic effects on livelihoods.
He says Nigerians are presently facing food shortages due to severe impacts of climate change like dry spells, flooding and environmental degradation.
“The reason is because of the lack of political will to implement policies and action plans to mitigate the impact of climate change, that affects food security, and this is evident in inflation and hunger being experienced in several states,” he said.
Okolo advised the electorates Edo and Ondo states to critically scrutinise the candidates’ manifestos and choose wisely who to vote for in the forthcoming governorship elections in the two states.
“For so long climate change has not affected voting patterns in Nigeria, it is high time the citizens began to have the consciousness toward voting for climate.
“It is only when we do that with the mindset to hold our leaders accountable for their climate actions, that they will take concrete measures to implement policies and build resilience and adaptation capacity of climate impacted communities,” he said.
Mr Jonathan Joshua, Climate Change Advocate and National President, Association of Small Scale Agro Producers in Nigeria (ASSAPIN) said climate change being a global phenomenon had enormously impacted both agriculture and human security.
He said voting for climate-friendly politicians in Nigeria equal voting for environmental sustainability, food security, and commitment to bringing interventions toward reducing its impacts.
Joshua enjoined the voters in Nigeria, particularly in Edo and Ondo where governorship elections are scheduled to take place to take decisive actions by voting for candidates that would implement climate change policies in their administration.
“If they must be voted for, they must have plans for interventions in line with climate policies, that will help the farmers and the vulnerable communities to deal with climate change.
“So the voters must take a decisive decision, anyone candidate that is not going to implement climate change policies in their administration should not be given chance to be voted for,” he advised.
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