Presidential Directive Calls for Council to Develop Flood Management Plan Address Lake Chad’s Decline

Ibrahim Umar
Kanempress
9th, August,2023

The Presidency has instructed the National Council on Climate Change to swiftly devise a comprehensive plan for dealing with the effects of climate change on flood management in Nigeria. Additionally they are seeking solutions to the issue of the shrinking Lake Chad.

Meanwhile, the Vice President has disclosed that the elimination of oil subsidies has resulted in a significant decrease in daily fuel usage by 30 percent which amounts to around 20 million liters. This reduction is estimated to lead to a daily saving of approximately 42800 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2e) emissions.

In his address at a one-day workshop delving into the outcomes of the 58th Sessions of the Subsidiary Bodies of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Shettima expressed deep concern over the grave repercussions of climate change labeling it as arguably the most significant challenge facing humanity today.

Although he could not attend the event in person, the vice president’s message was conveyed by Senator Ibrahim Hassan the Deputy Chief of Staff.

According to Shettima ,Nigeria finds itself ranked among the top ten countries most at risk from climate change despite its relatively minimal contribution to global carbon emissions that are largely responsible for driving this phenomenon.

“In reality Africa as a whole only contributes to less than four percent of the total global carbon emissions. However for those of us hailing from the North Eastern region of Nigeria we have personally experienced the devastating effects of climate change. We have witnessed the harsh consequences such as drought desertification, unpredictable rainfall patterns leading to sandstorms, severe floods and the destruction of farmland infrastructure and human settlements. These issues are not isolated to just our region; they occur in other parts of the country as well.

We all vividly remember the catastrophic floods that occurred last year in 2022 which brought the nation to a standstill for days. According to the World Bank’s Global Rapid post-disaster Damage Estimation (GRADE) assessment the direct economic damage to infrastructure alone was estimated to be around $7 billion. To put this in perspective it accounts for approximately 1.6 percent of Nigeria’s estimated GDP for 2021. These numbers do not even take into account the tragic loss of over 600 lives. It was a stark reminder of how climate change can wreak havoc on a nation like Nigeria.”

“Consequently, and in order to avert future occurrences of such severe floods, the National Council on Climate Change is hereby directed to develop a Comprehensive Climate Change Adaptation Project for Flood Management in Nigeria. The Project should include resuscitation of the Lake Chad Basin.”

The vice president emphasized the importance of natural gas in Nigeria’s transition to a low-carbon economy. He stated that the plan for decarbonization acknowledges the significant role that natural gas will play in various sectors until 2040 while still aligning with the objectives of the Paris agreement.

Furthermore the vice president mentioned the government’s efforts in accelerating the development and adoption of renewable energy sources. For instance there is a $550 million initiative called the Nigeria Electrification Project (NEP which is being supported by the World Bank. This project aims to promote the use of solar mini-grid and solar home systems throughout the country.

The vice president said further: “Our vision and expectations for COP 28 will include increased climate action on many fronts, particularly increased and available climate finance.