Experts seek homegrown solution to climate change

Africa Policy Research Institute (APRI), in collaboration with Centre for Climate Change and Development, has launched a roadmap titled: Climate Change Adaptation in Nigeria: Strategies, Initiatives & Practices Project.

During the event in Abuja, Head of Climate Change Programme at APRI, Dr. Grace Mbungu, stressed importance of locally adapted initiatives in the fight against impacts of global warming.

She said: “Communities genuinely care about their natural environments and are motivated to protect them.

“It is important to acknowledge and learn from these initiatives, strategies and practices, as well as provide the support needed for them to be effective and sustainable.”

“There is also an urgent need to identify, document and learn from these actions and practices to inform policy design and implementation at national, regional and local levels.”

Director of Centre for Climate and Development, Alex Ekueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, Prof. Chukwumerijie Okereke, harped on role of indigenous stakeholders and the need to capture their experiences in instituting locally-led adaptation.

He also touched on socio-economic effects of climate change on livelihoods.

The programme equally featured presentations from a senior lecturer at the Federal University of Akure, Dr. Olumuyiwa Adegun; former Deputy Director in Ondo State Ministry of Environment, Olujumoke Ogunrayi; a youth representative, Maxwell Orjiakor, among other notable speakers.

Lead Researcher and Senior Fellow at APRI, Dr. Hemen Mark Butu, while lauding the participants for their commitment, gave an overview of locally-led adaptation in Nigeria.

He observed lack of involvement of local communities in decisions on climate adaptation, limited adaptation finance, huge implementation gap between policy documents and overlapping programmes as challenges affecting locally-led adaptation.