NGO inaugurates project to advance climate justice

Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP) has inaugurated African Activists for Climate Justice (AACJ) in Nasarawa State to advance climate justice and smart agricultural practice.

Executive Director of the non-governmental organisation, David Terungwa, disclosed, yesterday, in Lafia, that AACJ was designed to push for climate justice and lobby the state government to increase budgetary allocation to ministries, departments and agencies.

He said that implementation of the project began with sensitisation of 80 stakeholders across the 13 local councils of the state towards climate justice.

According to executive director, the sensitisation also focuses on strengthening the capacities of stakeholders in the state to build resilience to climate-related issues affecting livelihoods and agriculture.

Terungwa said the project was being implemented by GIFSEP with support from The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oxfam, Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance and Natural Justice.

He said the project’s strategic objective was to build a strong and inclusive African movement that would mobilise citizens, companies and governments to advance climate justice.

The project, which had a five-year timeline, was designed to train farmers on climate-smart agriculture and provide them with timely weather information to enable plantation, he added.

“AACJ has a specific goal of amplifying and uniting the voices in Africa to demand that women, youths and local community members should realise their rights to live a decent and dignified life in a healthy and sustainable environment.

“We organised sensitisation workshop for 80 stakeholders, including civil society organisations, traditional rulers, religious groups and the academia from across the 13 local government areas of Nasarawa State to advance climate-related issues.

“AACJ, so far, through a stakeholders’ mapping, is able to identify community activists and community-based organisations as well as synergise to work towards climate justice for frontline communities,” he said.