Petroleum engineer and geospatial data scientist, Meremu Dogiye Amos, has said that the Federal Government’s usual reactive response to climate and environmental problems in the country is not good for Nigeria and Nigerians.

Amos, on Friday, through a communique to the press, said this following the recent urgent flood alert by the Federal Government, warning residents of flood-prone areas across 15 states to brace for heavy rainfall between August 10 and 14, 2025.

The petroleum engineer stated that Nigeria faces multiple interlinked environmental challenges — how the Niger Delta continues to suffer from oil spills, the north experiences rapid desertification, urban centres like Lagos face severe waste management crises, and coastal erosion in places like Ondo State affects large portions of land.

While commending the Federal Government and the relevant stakeholders in the environmental sector, she said their efforts towards sustainable environmental solutions are not satisfactory, adding that enforcement is still weak and that many interventions are reactive than preventive.

In light of this, she added, “Proactive environmental interventions and preventions leveraging technological innovations are what Nigeria needs now. And, coordination among agencies, the private sector, and communities needs significant improvement.”

Amos revealed that for actionable climate and environmental solutions in Nigeria, the government and the private sector must leverage artificial intelligence and other climate-related technologies.

“AI turns big environmental data into actionable insights. In Nigeria, AI models can forecast oil spill risk zones, optimise irrigation in agriculture, and predict flood hotspots, enabling proactive measures,” she said.

She explained how, in 2023, Nigeria used AI-driven satellite imagery analysis in Bayelsa and Rivers states to predict mangrove loss from oil spills. While listing and explaining some of the climate technological tools that can help with environmental problems in the country, she said that some of them are free or low-cost, but that advanced use, such as machine learning-based flood mapping, requires GIS and coding skills.

The geospatial data scientist advised the government to enact environmental laws and policies that can make the climate safer and adopt an integrated climate-resilient development framework that includes zero-routine gas flaring by 2030, large-scale mangrove restoration, coastal defence systems, and enforcement of environmental impact assessments (EIAs) with penalties.

Amos further advised the government to move from policy drafting to measurable enforcement; integrate climate adaptation into agriculture, energy, and housing; invest in climate-tech startups; and expand environmental education campaigns.

Commenting on the kind of data-driven innovation that will increase Nigeria’s capacity to address environmental challenges, she recommended a National Environmental Intelligence Platform similar to Canada’s Climate Data Portal, launched in 2022, which integrates satellite data, IoT sensors, and citizen science reporting.