By Tunde Johnson, Abuja
The Nigeria Climate Change Investment Initiative(NCCII) has identified poor access to funds and foreign direct investment (FDI) as the major factors militating against Nigeria from taking the leadership of green economy in Africa.
Paul Abolo, Curator, NCCII, stated this during the Nigeria Climate Change Investment Forum in Abuja on Tuesday, with the theme: ‘’Accessing Funding and Foreign Direct Investment in Green Economy: Processes, Partnership and Projects.
Abolo decried that stakeholders with knowledge of how to get funds that will help to militate against the adverse effect of climate
change hoard such information.
‘’In Europe for instance Nigeria only access three percent of the total fund available for the country on climate change, which is bad.
‘’This is a platform for both public and private sector to engage in global green economy while simultaneously communicating to the entire nation and the world, Nigeria preparedness to take leadership of green economy in Africa,’’ he said.
He averred that with climate change and fast depleting global environment, nations all over the world are courageously engaging
sustainable solutions to address this greatly demanding world.
Abolo stressed the need to build a harmonious relationship between mankind and the environment, vis-à-vis the new global climate challenges.
The curator stressed that the Paris Agreement emphasized the principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities in light of climate change.
In her address, Olufunso Amosun, wife of the Ogun state Governor, noted that Nigeria has a significant role to play in climatic
change, as concrete steps need to be taken to avert the flip-side of climate change.
She noted that everyone in the nation most especially the women living in the rural areas feel the negative and adverse effect of climate change the most as they have trek a very long distance to get drinkable water from stream, in the process they are raped or forced to face some dehumanizing challenges.
‘’We need to take a pragmatic approach on climatic change issue. In Ogun state for instance there is strong political will to drive the green agenda.
‘’There should be access to pipe borne water so that our women do not have to go the stream to fetch water, most times this water are disease ridden, if there is pipe borne water then our women would not be subjected to going to the streams.
‘’We are advocating to access to fund so as to make life more meaningful for our women living in rural areas.
‘’We need to have thorough understanding of climate change so that we do not fall victims of the adverse effect of climate change,’’ she said.
