Nigeria is not prepared in any way to tackle environmental health challenges despite the grave danger it poses to the nation's human resources and economy, says Professor Celestine Onwuliri.

Onwuliri made this statement at an annual public lecture on 'the Role of Environmental Health in the Management of Climate Change in Nigeria', an award ceremony organized by the Society for Environmental Health of Nigeria (SEHON), where he was the guest lecturer.

He said Nigeria should be very concerned about the negative impacts of climate change because parts of the country are located along the coastline, especially the south-east and the desert in the far north which are prone to floods due to rise in sea levels and desert encroachment but government is very slow in responding to the challenge.

According to him, every nation irrespective of wealth, size and technology is affected by global warming and this has forced many nations to take proactive steps to set in place emergency plans and reduce human activities that encourage climate change.

"Nigeria is definitely not prepared to tackle the menace of climate change in the next 100 years because early warning signal system needs to be put in place, and forest species extinction need to be prevented.

Climate change would create additional pressure on food supply globally and lead to societal displacement and population displacement."

National President of SEHON, Aniefiok Moses, said the association exists to enhance sound environmental health practices and promote research and education through lectures, exhibitions, seminars and conferences among others, which is why it organizes a yearly public lecture.

He said climate change leads to "drought and crop failure which breeds hunger and conflict where it thrives. It exacerbates poverty because the security and stability of each community, nation and all peoples are in jeopardy and the time to act is now."

Moses advised policy makers to use the lecture as guide for policy formulation and to take proactive steps to avoid the catastrophic consequences of climate change.

Some of the awardees at the lecture and awards are the Governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Isa Yaguda, the Emir of Ningi, Alhaji Yunusa Danyaya, who is also the Grand Patron of SEHON.