Category Archives: News Updates

The Enugu State Government and the Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP) held an inception meeting and stakeholder engagement for the proposed Enugu State Climate Policy and Action Plan on Thursday, July 18, 2024 in Enugu, the state capital.

Supported by the African Climate Foundation, the inception meeting, which had a broad representative from top government functionaries, civil servants, businesses, civil society organisations, youth-based groups, women groups and those living with a disability, was aimed at aligning the climate strategies of Nigeria’s states at the national level with that of the state level.

In his welcome speech, the Commissioner for Environment, Prof. S. C. Ugwu, traced the effects of climate change on the state and communities to rainfalls, dry seasons, increased frequency, intense flooding in homes, as well as deep gully erosions that split roads and endanger lives and property.

He listed the role of the intervention which includes the development of a science-based climate policy through comprehensive data and scientific analysis which will form the bedrock to develop a strategic climate action plan, engage stakeholders and develop a climate finance strategy.

The governor, Dr Peter Mbah, represented by the Secretary of the State Government, Prof Chidiebere Onyia, delivered a keynote at the event entitled “The Vision of the Climate Resilience and Green Economy”. He noted that the state has built a solid team to help actualise a green economy and build the resilience of the state to climate change.

Apart from setting up the necessary structure that will drive climate action, policy, climate change resilience and green economy, he shared objectives based on local content and local structure. He also stated that it is based on the three-key pitch of sustainability, inclusivity and innovation.

Mbah added that substantiality is at the heart of climate policy in rural economy, clean energy, sustainable agriculture and circular economy, He informed the gathering that the 250 model schools being constructed by the government will be powered through the renewable energy source.

The state is equally working hard to capitalise on the Circular Economy, Climate resilient infrastructure plan and provide a sustainable economy, he added, underlining the need to balance projects that are green and sustainable in the long run. It was also revealed that the Enugu State Government is also working towards changing Enugu State from a coal city to a green city.

Also speaking, the chairman of the Society for Planet and Prosperity, who also serves as the Special adviser to the government on climate change and sustainable development, Prof Chukwumerjie Okereke, stated the importance and relevance of the state being the first in Nigeria to have a scientific-based climate policy and action plan that will help the state in transforming towards a green economy.

He underscored the importance of the policy as a major driver of climate change globally. He also stressed that women, children and people with disability are disproportionally affected by the action of climate change and stressed the need to tackle climate change through mitigation and adaptation measures. He highlighted the importance of just transition in the whole climate change process.

In his goodwill message, the Commission of Youths and Sports Development, Mr Lloyd Ekweremadu, stated that the youths are also affected by climate change and stated the importance of climate change in the lives of youths and those living with disability. He stressed the role of a green economy in creating jobs for the youth and having an environment that is sustainable and beneficial to the youth whose future needs are affected by climate change.

The meeting ended with a technical session where all the major issues relating to climate change in Enugu State were comprehensively discussed.

The Senior Adviser to the Governor of Enugu State on Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Professor Chukwumerije Okereke, has announced the launch of an essay competition on climate change in the state.

The competition is part of the Mbah-Climate Education, Innovation and Training Initiative (MBAH-CEITI) aimed at raising climate awareness in the state. The initiative is said to align with the governor’s vision to enhance climate education in Enugu State.

Governor Peter Mbah’s administration is currently in talks with two international donors to secure funding for various climate awareness projects, including the development of a climate policy and action plan for the state. The MBAH-CEITI campaign is one of the several initiatives led by the Senior Adviser’s Office on Climate Change in collaboration with the state government.

The essay competition, titled “What measures can Enugu State take to address climate change while also promoting economic growth, and what role can the youth play in this process?”, commenced on Monday, July 1, 2024, and will end on July 31, 2024.

Speaking on the upcoming essay competition which is open to young adults from Enugu State and those living in the state between the ages of 18 and 35 years, the SA to the Governor on Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Prof Chukwumerije Okereke, said that the competition aims to increase public awareness of, and engagement with climate change in Enugu State and Nigeria more broadly. He stated that the essay competition is one of the campaigns in place by his office for the youths in Enugu State.

Prof. Okereke emphasised that his office has plans to implement additional projects in the state to enhance public awareness of climate change in Enugu State and Nigeria as a whole.

“My office is currently developing more public awareness campaigns, which will encompass the Enugu State climate policy and action plan, the Enugu State tree planting and urban greening campaign, the Enugu clean cooking initiative, and the Enugu youth technical empowerment programme.”

He asserted that these campaigns would not only educate the youth of the state about climate change but also provide them with training opportunities to enhance their capacity for self-sustainability.

“The competition will present a valuable opportunity for young individuals to take the lead and drive climate action in the state by proposing measures that can combat climate change while fostering economic growth. I am confident that we will receive high-quality submissions from the young people of Enugu State.”

Prof Okereke also emphasised the ongoing threat of climate change to human existence and highlighted the crucial role that young people must play in taking climate actions and participating in decision-making processes to safeguard our environment.

He also stated that his office would continue to develop engaging activities and competitions to enhance public awareness and understanding of climate change in Enugu State and Nigeria.

“My office is planning to organise more captivating competitions to raise public awareness and foster engagement with climate change in Enugu State and Nigeria as a whole.”

This first edition of the essay competition will see the winner getting a cash reward of N100,000, the second position N75,000, and the third position will get N50,000.

Youths from Enugu State and those living in Enugu are encouraged to submit their essay by visiting the website at www.enugustatesaclimate.com, and for further details call 07037631055.

The top three essays will be announced during a hybrid event scheduled for August 30, 2024.

By Anieze Elochukwu, PA to the Senior adviser on Climate Change and Sustainable Development

An environment enthusiast and climate change mitigation advocate, Chukwumerije Okereke, has explained why climate governance is important at state level.

Okereke, a professor, is the President and Chairman, Board of Trustee, Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP) Nigeria.

He notesd that climate change impacts are primarily felt at the subnational level in Nigeria. Therefore, effective climate action must be localized.

According to him, though there are comprehensive federal policies, such as the Climate Change Act and the Energy Transition Plan, similar frameworks are lacking at the subnational level. He reasons that, for Nigeria to meet its climate and sustainable development goals, state-level action is crucial.

Climate change, he notes further, has created significant environmental problems in Nigeria, affecting all regions and socio-economic classes. He recalled that the 2024 heat-waves were a stark reminder of its impact which caused considerable stress on commercial farmers and threatened food security.

“The Niger Delta faces persistent oil spills, leading to severe soil and water pollution, while the northern regions struggle with drought and desertification,” he said.

He disclosed that it was in recognition of this that SPP, in collaboration with the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and the Department of Climate Change (DCC), conducted a survey on subnational climate impacts, actions, and policies.

The survey engaged diverse stakeholders, including state climate change desk officers, academics, youths, and climate experts. The resulting report, ‘Climate Impacts, Policies, and Actions at the Subnational Level in Nigeria,’ was launched in Abuja on November 17, 2023.

The report found that eight states, including Nasarawa, Plateau, Yobe, Jigawa, Anambra, Ebonyi, Ondo, and Ogun, allocated budgets for climate projects in 2023.

Additionally, 13 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have developed climate action plans. Lagos, Enugu, and Rivers State have even established dedicated climate change offices, with Rivers State being the only state to pass a Climate Change Bill into law.

“While these developments are promising, it is essential to monitor and evaluate state-level efforts to ensure they achieve their goals,” Okereke said.

“SPP, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment’s Department for Climate Change have worked closely to initiate an annual ranking of climate change governance at the subnational level,” he added.

He hopes that this ranking will assess administrative structures, budget allocations, policies, action plans, and other metrics.

The inaugural ranking will be released on July 25, 2024, in Abuja, recognizing the hard work on the three top states and highlighting areas needing improvement and encouraging better climate action across states.

The Professor observed that for Nigeria to effectively combat climate change and advance sustainable development, state-level initiatives must complement federal policies.

“The upcoming ranking and continued scrutiny of state efforts will drive accountability and enhance climate action, ensuring Nigeria meets its climate goals,” he assured.

The Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP), a civil society organisation (CSO) led by foremost Professor of Environment and Governance, Chukwumerije Okereke, has said that Nigeria can leverage on coordinated climate action at the subnational level to achieve sustainable development.

This assertion was made by Nnaemeka Oruh, Senior Policy Analyst, SPP, during an interview at the Democracy Radio, Abuja, on Tuesday, July 2, 2024.

While clarifying that the impacts of climate change are mostly felt at the State and Local Government levels, Mr. Oruh bemoaned the fact that not so much is being done at the subnational level to address the long-standing climate change issues which range from desertification and land degradation to flooding and erosion in the north, and in the south respectively.

He stated that, in order to fully grasp the extent of climate change impacts and the resultant actions being taken at the subnational level to address them, the Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP) embarked upon a research in close collaboration with the Department of Climate Change (DCC) of the Federal Ministry of Environment, and the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) in 2023 to produce a first-of-its-kind survey of subnational climate impacts entitled “Climate Impacts, Policies, and Actions at the Subnational Level in Nigeria” which was launched in November by the Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, in the company of the Director General of the Nigeria Governors Forum, and other stakeholders.

Mr Oruh said: “To further measure the extent of climate action and governance at the subnational, SPP, in collaboration with the DCC, has just concluded a ranking survey scheduled for launch in Abuja on July 25, 2024.”

According to him, the ranking survey graded all the 36 states’ climate action performances using five criteria: administrative institutions; policy and action plan; budget and finance; implementation, monitoring, and evaluation; and online visibility.

He said the ranking survey, set to be launched, is aimed at gauging the extent of states’ performances in order to identify where gaps exist so that stakeholders can then take action in closing them. He attributed a success story from the mapping exercise done last year as instrumental to the current effort to help Enugu and Taraba states develop comprehensive climate change action plans.

While regretting that climate action is not given the level of importance and urgency it deserves by the government and people of Nigeria, Oruh said that ironically, by advancing climate action, Nigeria can actually address most of her developmental and everyday needs.

Oruh highlighted few recommendations for Nigeria to take climate action and consequently tackle some of her developmental and everyday needs: increase existing level of investments in renewable energy to address the perennial energy crisis in the country; provide clean cooking options for rural women to save them from health implications of unclean cooking; leverage on climate-smart agricultural practices to address food insecurity; provide jobs; and address the insecurity that comes from fighting over scarce arable lands, among others.

“Nigeria’s subnational comprising of 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, together with its 774 Local Government Areas suffer from a disconnect between federal policies and subnational implementation,” he emphasised.

In closing, the Climate Change Policy Analyst said: “SPP believes that there is need for proper coordination between the federal and the subnational with subnational climate actions linking with the global and federal, but also reflecting the unique needs of each component of the subnational. This coordinated action is the only way Nigeria can meet her climate change goals and also leverage on the process to engender sustainable development.”

Climate change has created significant environmental problems in Nigeria, affecting all regions and socioeconomic classes. The 2024 heatwaves are a stark reminder of its impact, causing considerable stress on commercial farmers and threatening food security.

The Niger Delta faces persistent oil spills, leading to severe soil and water pollution, while the northern regions struggle with drought and desertification.

Climate change impacts are primarily felt at the subnational level in Nigeria. Therefore, effective climate action must be localized. Despite the presence of comprehensive federal policies, such as the Climate Change Act and the Energy Transition Plan, there is a glaring absence of similar frameworks at the subnational level. For Nigeria to meet its climate and sustainable development goals, state-level action is crucial.

Recognising this, the Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP), in collaboration with the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and the Department of Climate Change (DCC), conducted a survey on subnational climate impacts, actions, and policies. The survey engaged diverse stakeholders, including state climate change desk officers, academics, youths, and climate experts. The resulting report, “Climate Impacts, Policies, and Actions at the Subnational Level in Nigeria,” was launched in Abuja on November 17, 2023.

The report found that eight states, including Nasarawa, Plateau, Yobe, Jigawa, Anambra, Ebonyi, Ondo, and Ogun, allocated budgets for climate projects in 2023. Additionally, 13 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have developed climate action plans.

Lagos, Enugu, and Rivers State have even established dedicated climate change offices, with Rivers State being the only state to pass a Climate Change Bill into law.

While these developments are promising, it is essential to monitor and evaluate state-level efforts to ensure they achieve their goals. SPP, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment’s Department for Climate Change have worked closely to initiate an annual ranking of climate change governance at the subnational level. This ranking will assess administrative structures, budget allocations, policies, action plans, and other metrics.

The inaugural ranking will be released on July 25, 2024, in Abuja, recognizing the hard work on the three top states and highlighting areas needing improvement and encouraging better climate action across states.

For Nigeria to effectively combat climate change and advance sustainable development, state-level initiatives must complement federal policies. The upcoming ranking and continued scrutiny of state efforts will drive accountability and enhance climate action, ensuring Nigeria meets its climate goals.

Prof Chukwumerije Okereke is President and Chairman, Board of Trustee, Society for Planet and Prosperity, Nigeria