National Assembly members have been urged to make adequate budget provisions for tackling the climate change crisis in the country.

The Chairman, of Climate Parliament Nigeria Network, Samuel Onuigbo, stated this in Abuja at the climate parliament one-day technical capacity-building workshop for the legislature on ‘Fostering Low Carbon and Climate Resilient Nigeria.’

He said that the workshop organised by Climate Parliament in partnership with United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), which is under the Parliamentary Action on Renewable Energy (PARE) programme, would galvanise lawmakers’ interest in providing a support system for a decarbonised, low-carbon and climate-resilient society.

Onuigbo also noted that the workshop would help the legislature’s critical role in driving political will, and awareness creation and exposing them to the varied aspects of the climate agenda.

It is also intended to create awareness of what is required in tackling the devastating effects of climate change through renewable energy and the challenges of energy supply in the country.

While emphasising the need for lawmakers to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency, he said, a conscious effort should be made in providing adequate funding for climate issues.

Onuigbo said: “One of the greatest ways of tackling climate change is to ensure adequate budget appropriation for addressing challenges of climate change when enacting laws, and make provision to have someone in the directorate cadre, in all the Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to oversee issues about climate.”

Chairman of, House Committee on Electoral Matter and Political Parties Affairs, Mrs. Aishatu Dukku, said that climate change is a fundamental issue that affects Nigerians while assuring that the National Assembly will make proper legislation to protect the environment.

“Climate change is a very fundamental issue that affects us in Nigeria as a whole. As you have seen this year, the weather and the climate have been very harsh, with a lot of flooding.

“We’ve cut down all the trees, there are so many evolutions, and nothing is being done about it, so as a legislator, I’m much concerned and this training of would help in making things better for us,” she explained.

The Minister of Power, Aliyu Abubakar, said the ministry focuses on mitigating climate change through the implementation of renewable energy projects. “This workshop is needed to build the capacity of the legislators both the state and national level, to understand climate change and also make laws that will bring about the implementation of both mitigation and adaptation of climate change.

“We have policies that regulate renewable energy sector, but we need to have legislatures that will foster development of the renewable energy market and mobilise private sector funding in the implementation of the renewable energy projects,” he stated.

He commended the group for its efforts for the Parliamentary Action on Renewable Energy (PARE) in Nigeria for bringing together relevant members of the national and states’ Houses of Assemblies for the technical capacity building workshop.

The Secretary-General, of Climate Parliament, Nick Dunlop, while commending the effort of the Nigerian government on its climate policies, said it was critical that the government step up the pace and scale of action on climate change.