Environment
Netherlands Urges Nigeria To Mitigate Impact Of Climate Change
The Netherlands has underscored the need for the Nigerian government to take adequate steps toward mitigating the impact of climate change.
Sigrid Kaag, the Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation in the Kingdom of Netherlands, gave the advice in an interview newsmen in Abuja.
According to her, there is the need for African countries, especially Nigeria to design policies and to have the political will to move forward climate action for the benefit of the environment.
“We often advise African countries that are very low in CO2 emissions to do a lot to mitigate the impact of climate change.
“Niger for example see the emissions as not a problem; they are dealing with the impact of drought following subsequent years of neglect.
“I will invite Nigeria to join the NDC because it is a way to be connected to other countries, who travel through similar pathways that need to work on the energy transition.
“Particularly when you look at energy transition of course Nigeria is a member of OPEC, so you have free fossil fuels.
“We focus a lot on the availability of winds at sea, solar energy, but energy transition platform is very critical to refocus hearts and minds to make contribution to combat climate change,” she said.
Emission of cabon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases contributes to global climate warming thereby causing oceans to become more acidic.
Kaag explained that climate change does not just affect the environment, it affects all spheres of development.
She said that in view of that and in order to achieve sustainable development, their was need to fight poverty and eradicate diseases.
She also said that climate change action would be beneficial to the society as it would address a number of pending issues.
“There is need to look at the civics production of the CO2 emissions and how to do it. I can’t tell you how we do it in the Netherlands and ask Nigeria to do it same way.
“Climate action is not only possible, it’s not only urgent, it may be also a very good opportunity for a fundamental transformation of the way we produce, consume and the way our own economies develop.
“It’s going to be fundamental for Governments to recognize that they need to work in a more open way with the different stakeholders, the business sector, and the international actors to address climate change,” she advised.
President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mrs Margaret Oguntala, has inaugurated the construction of 18 units residential terrace in highbrow Alausa area of Lagos toward bridging the nation’s shelter gap.
Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has launched the 1GOV Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) to enhance digital governance and improve service delivery.
The launch, held on Thursday in Abuja, marks the ministry’s transition from paper-based operations to a smart, integrated and technology-driven work environment.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, said the deployment aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Utsev said the system would improve data management, streamline workflows and strengthen transparency and accountability across the ministry.
According to him, the ECMS will enhance productivity, preserve institutional memory and reduce operational costs in the ministry.
Launching the platform, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, said the initiative is a major step in public sector reform.
She said the ministry’s mandate affects Nigerians through water supply, sanitation, irrigation, river basin development and climate resilience programmes.
Walson-Jack said the 1GOV ECMS enables secure digital records management, automated workflows, electronic approvals and real-time collaboration across MDAs.
She added that the deployment aligns with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 and the directive for full digitalisation by December 2025.
“Effective governance cannot afford delays caused by manual bottlenecks or avoidable inefficiencies,” she said.
She directed that all official correspondence in the ministry must henceforth be processed through approved digital registry channels.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Emanso Umobong, said the system would eliminate workflow inefficiencies and improve service delivery.
She urged staff to fully adopt the platform and engage in continuous capacity building.
Research shows that local communities and citizens living at the grassroots, particularly women, are directly impacted by the environmental degradation, flooding and others that result from these manifestations.
In the light of this, non-governmental organisation, Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development (EUFORDe), has held a forum for women and other members of oil impacted communities, tagged: ‘Voices from the Grassroots,’ and aimed at building their resilience and mitigation efforts against climate change and environmental degradation
The forum, with the theme: ‘Building Resilience for Oil Spill Impacted Ahoada Communities,’ organised with support from Global Green Grants, was held in Ahoada Community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State, on December 5, 2025.
Executive Director of Ese Usamali Foundation For Rural Development, Mercy Elemchukwu-James, said women are at the forefront of efforts to mitigate the impact of climate change and environmental degradation.
The event, therefore, was “designed for community women impacted by oil spills, flooding and other environmental degradation,” she said.
Community women were enlightened by resource persons on new opportunities for sustainable agricultural practices and water management techniques that cushion the impact of oil spills.
Lectures were also delivered on Self-care and Trauma-care, with focus on physical and mental health of the population, and increasing access to health-related resources and services; as well as on Food security and women’s critical role in decision making in oil spill and flood situations in communities
Elemchukwu-James pointed out that the event created a forum for stakeholders, civil society actors and others to dialogue on measures at advancing inclusive and sustainable livelihoods of community women.
She stressed the need for collaborative efforts towards achieving mitigation efforts, while underscoring EUFORDe’s commitment to “fostering partnerships as a critical driver for achieving a healthy community and sustainable development.”
Elemchukwu-James described participants’ design of ‘Community Resilience Plan,’ to manage and combat environmental degradation and crises, as part of achievements recorded at the event.
The forum also witnessed the launching of EUFORDs’ Center For Resilience and Rights.
“This center is established to build resilience as Trauma-Care for victims of environmental degradation, support for survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and a platform where victims of environmental injustice and other GBV cases can seek redress,” Elemchukwu-James said.
Participants celebrated the milestones achieved and charted a path toward greater impact in the coming years. They also described the event as “an inspiring and transformative experience.”
Elemchukwu-James said the awareness creation workshop “reaffirms EUFORDe’s mission to create an equitable society in which the rights and capacities of women, youth, children and underprivileged are integrated in the socio-economic planning and development of communities, for the attainment of equity and peace.