Environment
Climate Change: ‘Africa May Lose 180m People By 2100’
African Women under the aegis of African Women Uniting for Energy Food And Climate Change have said that the current trend on climate change, if not checked may lead to the premature death of over 180 million Africans in the contiment by 2100.
This was contained in a publication titled; “African Women Unite Against Destructive Resources Extraction” a copy made available to The Tide in Port Harcourt.
The report blamed climate change for the rising sea level, increasing rate of erosion, drought and water scarcity across the continent.
It described women as the greatest causalities of climate change, as rising sea level is having negative impacts on the forest lakes, seas and agricultural land.
“Rising sea level, all of which have negative impacts on the forests, lakes seas and land that women depend upon for their productive activities and residential life.
“And it is women, because of the patriarchal -capitalist division of labour and our greater responsibility for agricultural production and other domestic activities,” the women said.
The report also blamed the increasing trend in climate change on the failures of the convention on climate change conference of the parties (cop) to deliver binding agreements for emission reduction.
“The failure is mainly due to the rich countries that carry historical liability for a looming climate change catastrophe.
The women also called for a reduction in the exploration and exploitation of fossil fuel, stressing that this is not only contributing to the pollution of the environment but has led to the militarization of communities and societies in the country.
“Our governments and economic elite work hand in hand with transnational capital to exploit our planetary wealth for profit.
“This also leads to the militarization of our communities and societies as the politicians deploy the police and military against those resisting the theft of our land and the destruction of our eco-systems and livelihood”.
It said that women across Africa are reporting more of sexual harassment, bodily strip and searches and rape by security men of the state as well private security firms of multi-national corporations “poor communities and women carry the negative impacts of energy production, yet we do not enjoy its benefit.
“Transmission lines carry energy from major hydro dams and coal fired power stations past communities to the energy corporations, mining companies, smellers and industries in the global north and parts of the south” it said without even thinking of extending electricity to host communities, Reacting to the publication in a telephone interview with The Tide, the Executive Director of Women Initiative on Climate Change, Miss Emem Okon said that a lot of pressures have been brought on member nations of the united nations since 2016 to adopt a friendly attitude towards climate change.
Okon also said that the Kebet kache women Development Centre has also embarked on climate change awareness campaigns across the Niger Delta.
She said that the campaign has been done in Erema”, River state Ughelli Delta State and Ibeno in Akwa-Ibom State, adding that the campaign was to bring pressure to on the Nigerian Government to implement policies that well reduce the impacts of fossil fuel emission on the environment.
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.