Abuja-based think-tank, Agora Policy, has stressed the profound challenges that climate change poses to Nigeria’s current and immediate future development.
In a study titled, Climate Change and Socioeconomic Development in Nigeria, the policy issued a compelling call to action for the Nigerian government and key stakeholders in the country.
The report states that climate change should no longer be relegated to the periphery of concerns but demands immediate and central attention, acknowledging the array of climate-related initiatives and policies that successive Nigerian governments had implemented, including the 2021 Climate Change Law.
It also contends with the full potential of the measures in the law saying they are thwarted by a lack o f concrete action, a dearth of coordination, and adequate funding, according to the Agora report.
Noting that Nigeria, despite its relatively low carbon emissions, Nigeria is already experiencing the impact of shifting climate patterns and extreme weather events, the report says this is coming with the potential for graver consequences on the horizon, and asserts that the country is at the risk of becoming one of the most severely affected by climate change.
This dire scenario would have profound implications for the country’s already delicate economic, social and human development indicators.
The Agora report also highlights the ripple effect of climate change on poverty, hunger, disease, migration, conflict, insecurity, infrastructure degradation, coastal alterations, desertification, water scarcity, erosion, and dwindling revenue for both state and national governments.
It also reveals that, as of 2020, Nigeria was hemorrhaging at least $100billion (about N) annually due to the repercussions of climate change, with the potential for the loss of trillions of dollars in assets linked to the manufacturing, construction, and the oil and gas sector as the world pivots toward a greener economy.
According to Agora Policy, Nigeria could actually find herself stranded, whilst climate change may further jeopardize the nation’s economic development, reshaping its geography, society, and political trajectory for decades to come.
The report further sheds light on the various avenues through which climate change impacts could exacerbate Nigeria’s developmental challenges which include projected temperature increase ranging from 2.9 to 5.7 degrees Celsius across different ecological zones, an upsurge in extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, erosion, and the perilous prospect of losing 75% of the Niger Delta.
Furthermore, it outlines the adverse consequences for agriculture, food security, health, water and energy resources, peace, security in general, as well as critical infrastructure.
Amidst these, Agora Policy identifies avenues for Nigeria to confront climate change while bolstering economic growth and resilience. The report further recommends investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency, the promotion of climate-smart agriculture, the embrace of green manufacturing, the harnessing of natural resources for adaptation, and the fortification of disaster risk reduction systems.
The report then wraps up, that, paradoxically, climate change offers opportunities for economic competitiveness, energy security, and sustainable development, urging Nigeria to proactively embrace a climate-compatible development agenda, seizing these opportunities to stimulate economic growth, generate employment, and combat poverty and inequality through a just transition.
It also notes that in an era marked by the global transition from high-carbon to low-carbon economies, the Agora Policy underscores the imperative for Nigeria to take the lead in climate action, charting a path towards a more sustainable and prosperous future.
