The United States Consul-General in Lagos, Mr Joseph Stafford, last Tuesday reiterated the American government’s commitment to supporting Nigeria to build adaptation and mitigation mechanisms for climate change.

Stafford told our correspondent in Lagos that developing countries like Nigeria would need the support of their developed partners in mitigating the effects of climate change in their communities.

“The U.S. government is aware of the challenge of mitigating the effects of climate change on development. The U.S  knows that developing countries will be worst hit by the effects of the change.

“The government is, therefore, working with the Nigerian government, stakeholders and other relevant agencies in building adaptation and mitigation structures across communities throughout the country”, he said.

The Consul-General said the U.S. government, through its Agency for international Development (USAID), was working with the various levels of government on a coordinated policy of reducing the effects of climate change.

Stafford also reiterated the U.S. government’s poise to sustain its partnership with Nigeria in the area of food security, public health and security in the Niger Delta region.

“Climate Change has today become a global problem that needs global intervention to handle, especially in the developing parts of the world.

“Nigeria and the U.S have high level cooperation in so many areas. And the U.S. government cannot close its eyes to any threat to Nigeria,” he said.

The Consul-General said the U.S. government was planning to initiate an international dialogue to deal with climate change effects in its partnering countries.

He, therefore, urged the various levels of government in Nigeria to liaise with USAID, to enable them to be able to access the agency’s facilities to adapt and mitigate climate change.