Kaduna Gov’s Aide Parleys Media On Climate Change, Harps On Sensitization

By Frederick Peters, KADUNA.

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA: The Special Assistant to the Governor of Kaduna State on Climate Change, Idris Yusuf Amoke has emphasized the need for concerted actions and sensitization on climate change.

Amoke, lamented the impact of climate change in the World, Country and State, while describing it a ‘hydra-headed issue’, also harped on the need for mitigation, adaptation and possible resilience in dealing with it.

He made this call during a parley with Arewa Online Media Publishers, in Kaduna over the weekend, where he further commended the support and commitment of Governor Uba Sani, in addressing the issues of climate change owing to the appointment of an aide on climate change being the first ever.

” To set the records straight in the whole of Northern Nigeria, there’s no state that has an aide on climate change except Kaduna, so this actually defines the commitment of the governor in ensuring that Kaduna state takes the lead in the fight against climate change”

He noted that the impact of climate change has not only caused problems to the environment but also on the socio- economic dispositions of citizens of Kaduna state.

” The issue of climate change is a hydra-headed issue that affects virtually all aspect of human life and it has exacerbated a lot of negativity in our society, so my office and mandate basically is to create awareness on climate, its impact and possible measures that can be taken,

“and to see how we can together take action around mitigating and most especially adapting to the effects, so that, we can all be able to build resilience around impact of climate change” he said.

While describing climate change, as transitional and very unnoticeable which occurs in two ways, as natural and man- induced phenomenons,  also said, Climate change is simply ” a change in weather patterns over a period of time”

He alluded that, after the industrial revolution, ” scientists discovered that the level of carbondoixide is massive and once there’s carbon dioxide, nitro oxide and other gases that’s what we call green house gases adding that, once the green house gases are released into air, it results into global warming.

He further explained that year 2023 was recorded as the hottest year ever in the history of mankind due to climate change, adding that, this year” First week of February, we experienced serious unusual cool, harmattan, serious heat wave, rainfall and unusual weather” due to climate change.

He also pointed out, that Nigeria mostly do not emit green house gases into the climate” but the reason why we are concerned is that the global warming on climate change is something that affects every one in the counties of the world, because if any country emit gases it will affect someone in another country, because it’s a global thing”

” so now that they are emitting we need to take action, and the action we need to take is called adaptation, adapt to the effect of climate change and the actions they need to take is called mitigation, they need to stop or reduce emitting of these gases and if we are able to take all these actions, then we now do what is called resilience” he stated.

According to him, climate change has impacts on Kaduna State due to its large landmass and population, mostly women and children, couple with the issue of vulnerability, while speaking on the felling of tree in the state which he noted as unlawful , ” so what we encourage that if you must fell down a tree, you must plant 2-4 trees to replace them” he stressed.

He further said the state government via the ministry of environment is also creating awareness and training women and youths on the alternative sources of energy, which emit less carbon dioxide and less use of woods, use of energy saving stoves, among others.

He further assured the people of the state, that the Kaduna state climate policy is set to be signed by the state Governor, Senator Uba Sani, and as soon as that is done, it will give the legal framework to every stakeholder to take necessary actions on climate change.

On aftermath of the recent UN conference of Parties, COP 28 on climate change, which the state sent delegation, he said Nigeria being a signatory to the UNFCC makes every state in Nigeria a part, saying that Nigeria signed to voluntary emittiing of 20% of gases and 47% for conditional emittion via funding.

He said enormous benefits awaits the state, from the opportunities of the conference, ” for us to achieve the 47% all hands must be on deck across the states, and if we are able to achieve these objectives, it will help us gain, because there’ll be a lot of resources, in terms of capacity training, monetary support and in terms of projects that will be situated in Kaduna” he averred.

He further said in compliance to climate issues, the state has installed Solar in primary health centers (PHC) across the 250 wards, adding that 750million US dollars for the UN adaptation fund is there for parties to access, for youth and women empowerment, solar installations among others.