Bank trains sub-nationals on climate change mitigation

To mitigate the impact of climate change, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has engaged in training desk officers at sub-national levels.

The weeklong regional workshop, which saw participants drawn from across the country, explores low carbon and mitigation options.

The forum, organised by Action Enhancement Package (CAEP), in collaboration with IsDB, Federal Ministry of the Environment, and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was aimed at building climate sensitivity and highly prone infrastructural investments that support green economic growth.

The Country Manager, IsDB, Dr. Mamoud Kamara, said climate change is one of the major challenges of the time which is already affecting everyone. He said changes in the global climate have resulted in both acute climate events, including intense storms and chronic challenges as water scarcity and persistent drought in parts of Nigeria is expected to increase in the coming decades.

A consultant to the Department of Climate Change (DCC) and Prof. of Geography at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Francis Adesina, said the workshop seeks to build the capacity of people at the grassroots for them to contribute meaningfully to the fight against climate change, which is as real as CoVID-19.

Mr. Olatunji Yusuf of the Climate Change Division, IsDB Headquarters in Jeddah, said considering the geographical landscape in Nigeria, human factors have largely been responsible for climate change, which affects every sector.
He said: “We must give credit to the Nigerian government for their effort; in 2015, they submitted its Nationally Determined Contribution under the UN’s Framework Convention Climate Change (known as the Paris Agreement), hence we have seen a continuous process that involves building capacity to implement and respond to climate change.”

Also, a professor of Climatology at the University of Lagos, Emmanuel Oladipo, said the climate has a lot of connections with finances.