President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in Abu Dhabi at the the 2016 World Future Energy Summit calls for greater cooperation in the fight against the devastating effects of climate change.
In a statement issued by his special adviser media, Femi Adesina, Buhari said: “Africa is already suffering from the consequences of climate change, which include recurrent drought and floods. In Nigeria, the drastic drying up of the Lake Chad to just about 10% of its original size has negatively impacted on the livelihood of millions of people, and contributed in making the region a hotbed of insurgency.
“Desert encroachment in Niger, our northern neighbour, and in far northern Nigeria at the rate of several hundred metres per annum has impacted on the existence of man, animal and vegetation, threatening to alter the whole ecological balance of the sub-region.
“In the middle and southern part of Nigeria, land erosion threatens farming, forestry, town and village peripheries and some areas major highways.
“Constant and abrupt alteration between floods and droughts prove that climate change is real and, therefore, a global approach and cooperation to combat its effects are vital if the human race is not to face disaster in the 21st century,” President Buhari told participants at the summit.
Noting that the summit was taking place soon after the United Nations Conference on Climate Change held in Paris late last year, President Buhari praised the United Arab Emirates for consistently supporting international action on climate change.
“We see Abu Dhabi as a dependable partner in the collective effort to manage climate risks including the attainment of the sustainable development goals by 2030. “We appreciate your immense contributions worth hundreds of millions of dollars in energy aid to developing countries,” the President said.
