AS the United Nation’s Climate Summit holds this week in Copenhagen, developing countries across the world look up to Nigeria to push for the formation of a climate change fund to help third world countries that are adversely affected.
Attending the summit with about 125 people, the single highest delegation worldwide, Nigeria is widely expected to formulate an articulate position on the subject to enable it contribute meaningfully to the discussion rather than serve as disgruntled observers in Copenhagen.
Coming at a time when the country is rather reticent in world affairs as examplified by its leader, Umaru Yar’Adau, Nigeria is incidentally one of ten African countries charged by the African Union to forge an African Common Position. It leads the Technical Group in the Conference of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change.
A statement from the European Union on the summit sated that developing countries need to be furnished with resources, capacities and technology to adapt to unavoidable climate change and embark on a low carbon development path. All commitments flowing from the new regime must be monitored, verifiable and measureable.
The world, according to the EU, must rally around the 2oC target and without further delay take bold steps. Africa and the EU – the region most vulnerable to climate change and the world’s largest economic bloc – share this sense of urgency. Copenhagen must go down in history as the crossroads where the world changed direction. We owe it to ourselves and to our future generations – those who cannot join us at the negotiating table, but will suffer most, says Nigeria’s minister of environment, Mr. John Odey.
Climate change is real and we know what it takes to avert its dangerous effects. It is now a question of mustering the political will. It is truly promising that Africa and the EU have exerted leadership and that our two regions arrive Copenhagen with common views on key issues, since when we move together, climate negotiations have historically moved forward, says Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Per Lindgärde.
Experts in Nigeria say the nation is at grave risk of climate change because of its over 800km coastline, one of the continent’s longest. A sea level rise of just 0.2m, resulting from climate change, can generate floods over 3,400 square kilometre of its coast land. Also in the northern part of the country, two-thirds of the nation’s land cover, is prone to drought and desertification.