Godswill Akpabio, the President of the Senate, has called on the Federal Government to direct the ecological fund towards addressing environmentally hazardous issues that pose a risk to human lives.
Akpabio made this plea during an interactive session with the Senate leadership, which was led by the Permanent Secretary of the Ecological Project Office, Malam Ibrahim Shehu Ibrahim.
The Permanent Secretary highlighted that the monthly N3 billion allocation to the agency was insufficient to meet the daily influx of over 5,000 requests from disaster-affected communities across Nigeria.
Reacting to this, Akpabio urged the agency to prioritize its interventions, emphasizing the urgency of addressing pressing environmental crises. He specifically cited the devastating ocean surge in five southern states and the alarming desert encroachment in the Lake Chad basin as critical issues that require immediate attention.
Furthermore, the Senate President pledged to enact legislative measures to support the ecological office in enhancing its performance and response to ecological challenges.
Akpabio stressed the need for proactive measures to mitigate natural disasters, proposing advocacy for a nationwide tree-planting initiative. He advocated for every Nigerian to plant a minimum of one tree annually, with a heightened focus on areas severely impacted by desert encroachment, to counter the impending ecological catastrophe.
Highlighting the ramifications of climate change on the shrinking Lake Chad basin, Akpabio conveyed the far-reaching effects, including mass migration and its contribution to escalating security concerns in Nigeria. He underscored the ripple effect on herders and farmers, attributing the intensifying conflict to this ecological upheaval.
Expressing his commitment to garner international support and aid for Nigeria’s ecological endeavors, Akpabio referenced his role in the executive committee of the inter-parliamentary union, emphasizing the potential avenues for sourcing financial assistance to address ecological matters. He further conveyed his determination to engage international organizations and lobby for support to bolster Nigeria’s resilience against ecological challenges.
In conclusion, Akpabio pledged unwavering collaboration to reinforce the efforts of the Ecological Project Office in safeguarding the environment and alleviating the hardships endured by communities affected by climate-induced displacements in Nigeria.
