Leadership (Abuja)
Pamela Sombo
22 November 2007
Climate change has been identified as a threat to Nigeria's hydroelectricity generation.
The minister of national planning commission, senator Mohammed Sanusi Daggash made the revelation in a speech on "the impact of climate change" in Abuja recently.
The minister stated that in the area of industrial acceleration, climate change spells disaster as insufficient rainfall and low ground water recharge rate especially lower volume of water in the rivers and dam would impair hydroelectricity generation.
This source of water (rainfall) accounts for about 36 per cent of Nigeria's energy source whereas inadequacy of such supply has caused the closure of many industries which has led to job loss and also increased the cost of doing business in the country.
In Nigeria he said, studies have projected accelerated sea level rise of about 0.5 meters. This will cause many low lying coastline areas to be inundated with flood and storm surge and up to 35 per cent of the Niger Delta region of the country could be lost as a result.
In a statement signed by the chief press secretary of the ministry, Phil Oshodin and made available to Leadership the minister noted that given such unpleasant scenario, it implies that about 32 million people who are about 22.6 per cent of the country's population of over 140 million who live along the coastal zone are at risk of becoming environmental refugees.
According to him, "such forced movement could result to social friction, attendant human calamities and irreparable damage to Nigeria oil installations concentrated along the coastal zones which harbor most of Nigeria's economic activities amounting to over US $10 billion capital value being at risk".
He explained further that "offshore and onshore areas, estuaries and lagoons support artisinal and industrial fisheries which amount to more than 75 per cent of fishery landings in the country".
Climate change he continued, is known to adversely affect this sector of the economy because there will be fish and food shortage and job losses. Whereas in the area of health, climate change is identified as one of the fundamental causes of the poor state of human health in the tropical region.
Examples of such are malaria, filariasis, and yellow fever while cerebro-spinal meningitis, measles and small pox virus killer diseases are prevalent in the arid zones of the continent.
Daggash mentioned also that total available water have reduced by 40 per cent to 60 per cent in Africa's largest catchment basins of Niger, Lake Chad and Senegal. This has resulted in lower average annual rainfall, runoff and soil moisture which has invariably worsened desertification.
The grasslands of the sahel running across the continents south to the Sahara desert are seriously shrinking. Climate models predict warmer temperatures and less rainfall for the region under global warming that accelerates desertification and loss of biodiversity, he noted.
According to him, "the adverse effects of these are increased numbers of drought, food shortage and environmental pressure that could lead to conflict between struggling nations, unleashing migrations of refugees on the African continent". On the other hand, he cautioned that coastal African nations must learn to cope with rising sea level as changes may be very profound in West Africa where coastal storms are common.
Town Planners Caution On Nigerian Cities
The Nigerian institute of town planners has cautioned that Nigeria's urban centres are fast becoming destinations of environmental pollution.
The president of the institute, Waheed A. Kadiri who made the revelation in a speech that was made available to Leadership stated that Nigerian cities are in addition to this, becoming islands of the poor and deprived, desperation and degradation for a large proportion of the population.
Waheed Kadiri further cautioned that the cities are largely becoming sources of environmental pollution, social anomie and insecurity. And all these put together are catalysts to conflict.
These conflicts he continued, may manifest in many ways as simple scarce conflicts, group identity conflicts, relative deprivation conflicts and environmental scarcity conflicts and these conflicts are more evident where poverty is greatest.
According to him, it is the position of the institute that "proper planning of Nigerian cities is not negotiable. To improve the welfare and well being of the people through adequate provision of housing, health and environmental educational facilities, transport, water supply, security, clean environment and availability of goods and services are required by its residents with more attention to be diverted to planning".
He noted that safety will also be enhanced with equitable distribution of these services and facilities that improve livability of Nigerian cities.
This position, he stated, has led the institute in collaboration with the Nigerian urban forum to hold a national urban summit with the intention of making it an annual event. The summit will identify problems militating against efficient functioning of urban centres and show the way to bring together economic development policies and initiatives with corresponding socio- physical development agenda.
FG Cautions Industry On Pollution
The federal government has sounded a note of warning to CIBI Nigeria Limited to stop polluting the environment with its wastes or be sanctioned during the next evaluation and inspection visit to the industry.
The director general of the Nigeria environmental standards and regulations enforcement agency (NESREA), Mrs. Benebo Ngeri, gave the warning when the agency paid an unscheduled visit to the granite quarries and processing industry in Kaduna recently.
The director general, who was represented by the director of inspection and enforcement of the agency, Mrs. Ronke Soyombo said that she was not impressed by the mode of operation of the industry.
The DG who noted that the industry's waste disposal is crude, thus polluting the environment cautioned that if its waste disposal process is not addressed, the agency will have to sanction the industry.
She noted also that ear protection facilities and industrial gloves are not provided for the workers which makes the workers to be prone to diseases. She further frowned at the unkempt environment of the industry that was filled with broken down vehicles and industrial machines with particles of granite and phosphorus, a poisonous substance littered in the premises.
Following the incessant problems of environmental pollution being faced in Nigeria, the federal government established the environmental regulation and enforcement agency to tackle the problem and proffer lasting solutions.
The agency is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring a cleaner and healthier environment for all Nigerians with a mandate to sanction all those who do not abide by its rules on regulation and enforcement of safe environmental practices.
Commissioner Blames Frequent Road Accidents On Tanker Drivers
From George Okojie, Lagos
Following the increasing spate of road traffic accident in Lagos State, the Lagos State commissioner for transportation, Professor Bamidele Badejo, has enjoined the tanker drivers, who had cultivated the habit of parking indiscriminately on the road, to desist from it to avoid more accidents.
Speaking with newsmen at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Lagos to flag off the road safety campaign week, he said it was important enlightenment campaign carried out to sensitise the people on the need to be cautious at this quarter of the year, known as the "ember" months.
Badejo said the preventable accidents were with human judgement errors and mechanical faults resulting from criminal neglect, adding that the tanker drivers were at the forefront of causing the carnages.
"These carnages had over the years dispatched patriotic Nigerians to their early graves while also leaving so many with permanent deformities which affect their contribution to national growth negatively.
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