Leadership (Abuja)
Abdulazeez Sani
20 August 2008
Governor Babngida Aliyu of Niger State has observed that climate change portend great danger to the existence of mankind and urged world leaders to unite and find lasting solution to the problem.
Aliyu made the call in Minna at a workshop for policy and decision makers on climate change, organised by the state ministry of environment in conjunction with the United Nations Development.
He noted that if left unfixed, climate changes could worsen drought, aridity and decline in agricultural production and heighten desert encroachment as well as excessive rainfall, flooding and soil erosion.
The governor, who was represented by his deputy the Hon. Ahmed Ibeto, called on people to be environment conscious and to sensitize others on issues relating to climate change.
His words: "conscious and committed efforts should be geared towards sustaining the ecosystem for the present and future generation."
Aliyu reiterated his administration readiness to partner and collaborate with development partners and agencies to make the environment safe, green and healthy.
He called on the Federal Government to provide Nigerians with affordable alternative source of energy for cooking, noting that there was a negative environmental impact in using wood and charcoal for cooking in traditional settings.
According to him, the state ministry of environment and forest resources would soon come up with a working plan to provide seedlings for planting at the premises of ministries, parastatals and agencies in the state to reduce the effect of climate change.
The minister of Environment, Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Halima Tayo Alao, in her address, stated that climate change was currently the most topical global environmental challenge the world had to contend with in the 21st century.
Alao noted that the earlier an effective action was taken to solve the problem, the less costly it would be, adding that tackling climate change required the efforts of the three tiers of government.
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