Nigeria: Realities of Climate Change

Climate change brings about a change in our weather patterns. The causes of this obviously is the use of substances within industry, which emits greenhouse gases (GHGs).These in turn result in ozone depletion, which make the ozone-layer handicapped, unable to block the sun’s more harmful ultra-violet rays. These dangerous emissions from industry with less and less forest cover to absorb them (viz.carbon dioxide fertilization & carbon sequestration), cause global warming, and temperature increases in our weather. This is most noticeable in the Sahel agro-forest region and along the coastal regions of Nigeria, where drought and sea-level rise hazards respectively are experienced by communities living there.

Nigeria’s present network of protected areas includes a biosphere reserve, eight national parks, 445 forest reserves, 12 strict nature reserves and 28 game reserves. Other sanctuaries and game reserves have been proposed. The total area of land under national parks is about 2.4million hectares.

These game reserves were meant to conserve wild life and to supplement protein from domestic sources. Species that had priority for conservation then were identified to include chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla), ostrich (Slrutio camelopedalus1 Black Rhinoceros (Diceros biocornis) Giraffe (Giraffa call1eloparl!a!is),pigmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) and water chevrotain (Hyemoschus aquaticus).

Repercussions from global warming are numerous. For health. For supply of safe water sources. For agriculture. For food security. For habitat that keeps the biodiversity as it use to be. There is evidence that some of the above listed species in wildlife have since become extinct and there is need for more species to receive special attention.

If communities are also faced with natural disasters and displacements, like during foods and erosions, droughts and desertification, loss of forest tree cover and topsoil , as a result of climate change, there is bound to be a threat from migrancy and loss of the very valuable farm labour, due to conflicts between communities suffering under the impact of climate change.

The foregoing should be seen as critical in any endeavour by the authorities to feed the nation and the way forward would be to  encourage the best adaptation program among the communities and prepare farmers for the future to cope better. It is well to note 90% of agricultural output in Nigeria is from the small holder sector.30% of economically active Nigerians are employed in agriculture and live in the rural provinces-38% of these are female. Agriculture in Nigeria is a climate sensitive resource. Our food security in Nigeria depends on the volume of rainfall and its consistency, and it makes the farmer vulnerable, and autonomous adaptation where nature does the readjustments back to normalcy is no longer sufficient for him.

Although, it can be said since the 1970s and 1980s patis of the sahelian community in northern Nigeria have experienced droughts, wind erosion, and desertification. We can safely say they have acquired some adaptation strategies, which are already developed, both by the farmers themselves and through scientific research.

Presently, reports say one agricultural extension worker serves three thousand (1 to 3000), and this will work out at 30 minutes of ‘extension time’ per year per Nigerian farmer. Obviously, it is not enough, and we can safely say because of this, the non-formal means of information transfer using word- of- mouth alone may not serve the purpose of the rural farmers.

Important for the Nigerian farmer will be knowledge about the activities of the relevant bodies set up by the government initially to mitigate the effects of natural disasters arising from global warming and climate change. The radio would be the better way to introduce these agencies to the farmers. Also provide weather forecasts and support an early warning system for the farmers in Nigeria.

Orupabo, a commentator on public issues, resides in Lagos.

Julian Orupabo