Climate Change: Expert urges governments to take proactive measures
Story from Usman IBRAHIM
Mr Kenneth Akpan, the Project Lead, African Activists for Climate Justice (AACJ) Nigeria, has advised State Governments to take proactive measures on issues of climate change to alleviate suffering of citizens.
Akpan gave the advice at the training of community activists on climate justice audit supported by OXFAM in Yola.
He said that state governments need to work in synergy with the Federal Government to make sure their people did not suffer and see how they can better the lives of citizens.
The project lead advised participants to be good ambassadors by engaging more people to join the call to fight for climate justice.
He said: “The more voice we have, the more impact we are going to make.”
According to him, climate justice is a fight for right of people who suffer as a results of climate change.
Mr Joseph Ibrahim, the Project Officer, Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP), said the essence of the training was to build capacity of participants on climate justice.
“For us it is to ascertain what communities, government and private sectors are currently doing with regards to issues around climate change and the kind of interventions, among others.
“Our expectations is to have quality data that will help us to plan some of our interventions that we have for the state, basically like need assessment,” he said.
In his presentation, Mr Tunde Akinmolayan, the Fcilitator, charged participants on effective community engagement to achieve the objective of the project.
According to him, in the context of climate change community have vital role to play in contributing in many ways, hence the need to hear their views.
Mr Aminu Mallum, a participant, described the engagement as moving forward at the right direction for ensuring justice on issues of climate change.
According to him, these give them the opportunity to interact with people at the grassroots on impact of climate change and assured to step down the knowledge to members.
