An alarming report from the United Nations Children’s Education Fund, UNICEF, revealed that 650,000 Nigerian children have been displaced by floods, positioning Nigeria as the second most affected country by climate change impacts on children worldwide.
The period from 2016 to 2023 witnessed this extensive displacement, as pointed out in a press release coinciding with the 2023 World Children’s Day. UNICEF emphasized the grave risk faced by over 110 million Nigerian children due to escalating temperatures, floods, droughts, and severe storms.
Dr. Salisu Dahiru, the Director General of the National Council on Climate Change, emphasized the urgent need for an inclusive and prompt response. Recognizing the vulnerability of children and women, Dr. Dahiru stressed the importance of involving them in decision-making and implementation processes.
Furthermore, Christian Munduate, the UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, underscored the necessity of providing a platform for children to voice their concerns about climate change, with the aim of collectively shaping a sustainable future.
The launch of the Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC) in Nigeria was a pivotal event, drawing stakeholders from education, the environment, media, and relevant organizations to Evolution Hotel in Gombe, coinciding with the 2023 World Children’s Day.
The UNICEF Bauchi Field Office ensured the live streaming of the launch, elucidating the key climate risks faced by children and outlining the multi-sectoral climate actions slated for Nigeria from 2023–2027.
The esteemed event saw the participation of UNICEF officials, Gombe’s Commissioner for Education, Professor Aishatu Umar Maigari, the Project Coordinator of Agro-Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscape (ACReSAL), and other stakeholders, including journalists and peace advocates.
Also in attendance were veteran journalists Farida Muhammad Dunemia, Alhaji Usman Shehu, Alhaji Aliyu Ardo, and other luminaries from Pathway to Peace DW Academia.
Following the launch, UNICEF, in collaboration with the Gombe State Ministry of Education, ACReSAL, and Pathway to Peace DW Academia, organized an inter-school quiz competition on climate change. The Commissioner exhorted students to view this competition as an opportunity to expand their knowledge about climate change.
Commending UNICEF for the launch of CLAC and the initiative for an inter-school competition on climate change, Maigari emphasized the need to sustain these interventions for children, thereby leaving a lasting legacy.
Government Girls Mega College, Gombe emerged as the victors in the inter-school competition, while Government Day Secondary School, Gandu, and Government Day Secondary School, Gombe claimed the second and third positions respectively, as reported by Daily Post.
